Three finalists among seven candidates named for the next San Mateo County Sheriff

SAN FRANCISCO — Three finalists were named being considered for appointment as the next sheriff by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on November 6. One of the three finalists is expected to be appointed by November 13 to lead the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office for the next three years.

Three finalists are Gilroy Interim Police Chief Kenneth Binder, former Assistant Chief of San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) David Lazar, and Solano Community College District Police Chief Brian Wynn Huynh Travis.

A public candidate forum for the selection of next San Mateo County Sheriff will be held at 6 p.m. on November 10, Monday, in the Board Chambers, 500 County Center, Redwood City.

On November 5, the County of San Mateo released seven names of candidates who passed the first round of screening to be considered as the next sheriff after the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on October 14 to remove former Sheriff Christina Corpus from office.

All seven candidates have decades of law enforcement experience from the San Francisco Bay Area. Among them, four candidates were white, three were Asians, three have/had served at the San Francisco Police Department, and one was currently working within the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

In addition to three finalists, four candidates were City Manager of Hillsborough John Doug Davis, SFPD Richmond Police Station Captain Kevin Lee, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Sergeant David Weidner, and San Francisco State University Police Department Captain Robert Yick.

Two candidates, Kevin Lee and Robert Yick, were Chinese American police leaders from the SFPD.

Former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus was elected in November 2022 and sworn into the office in January 2023. She was the first woman and first Latina elected sheriff in the county, and the first sheriff to be removed by County Board of Supervisors in California history.

After one year leading the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, Corpus began to be challenged and criticized by the department's deputies in allegations of retaliation, misconduct, and abuse of power. In March 2024, 84% of voters countywide passed Measure A to temporarily grant the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors the authority to remove elected Corpus from office for cause. On October 14, 2025, Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to remove her.

Under San Mateo County Charter, the Board of Supervisors must appoint a new sheriff by November 13, 2025.

According to the information released by the County, the deadline for candidates to submit applications was noon on November 5. The Board of Supervisors would hold a special meeting to interview candidates and select finalists at 1 pm on November 6. There will be a public candidate forum at 6 pm on November 10 in the Board Chamber. The Board of Supervisors will meet at 9 am on November 12 to have public interviews of finalists and selection of appointed sheriff. San Mateo County residents are encouraged to participate in the public forum and public meetings with inputs on the selection.

All candidates who applied for the position have to be residents in San Mateo County. Here are the background and law enforcement experience of seven candidates:

1. Kenneth Binder

The majority of Binder's 27-year law enforcement career had been in the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office where he held positions as Chief of Police for the contract cities of Cupertino, Saratoga, and Los Altos Hills, simultaneously. He had served as Undersheriff and retired in 2024. Since June 2025, Binder has served as Interim Chief of Police for the City of Gilroy.

2. John Doug Davis

Davis began his career as a police officer in San Mateo County 36 years ago, rising through the ranks to become Hillsborough Chief of Police. Presently he serves as the City Manager of Hillsborough after a 34-year career in Hillsborough Police Department where he served as its Chief of Police from 2018 to 2023. He had commanded several county-wide tactical teams, including the Counter-Terrorism Team and Gang Task Force.

3. David Lazar

Lazar is a 4th generation San Franciscan and was drawn to law enforcement when his mother became a 911 dispatcher for the SFPD in 1982. He followed his mother as a 911 dispatcher in 1988 and joined the SFPD as a police officer in 1991. During his 33-year police career with SFPD, he rose through the ranks to become assistant chief for three years and retired in June 2025.

4. Kevin Lee

Lee has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience in San Francisco. He began his career as a deputy in 1999 at the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, where he gained experience in correctional operations. He joined the SFPD in 2006 as a police officer and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2025. He currently serves as Richmond Police Station Captain in San Francisco. He was born in China and speaks fluent Cantonese.

5. Brian Wynn Huynh Travis

Travis has more than 25 years of public safety experience and currently serves as Police Chief for the Solano Community College District. He was born in Vietnam and fled the country as a child refugee in 1979. He grew up in San Mateo County. He had served 14 years at the Solano County Sheriff's Office where he was a member of the command staff.

6. David Weidner

Weidner was the only candidate from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and serves as a Sergeant. He has served in the Sheriff's Office for 25 years and held positions in patrol, corrections, field training, ranch instruction, and policy development.

7. Robert Yick

Yick is a 32-year law enforcement leader. He has served as a captain and second-in-command for the San Francisco State University Police Department since 2024 to present. Yick began his law enforcement career in 1992 at the Police Department of the University of California at Berkeley. He transferred to the San Francisco Police Department in 1994 and was promoted to the rank of Captain until he retired. Prior to retiring from the SFPD in 2023, Yick had served as Captain of Taraval and Central Police Stations.