Business and labor groups back District 5 City Council candidate
Lawyer Patrick Kennedy described himself as a rare City Council candidate because local business and labor groups are backing his campaign. Kennedy is endorsed by the Sacramento Central Labor Council and the Sacramento Metro Chamber.
“Both (organizations) have worked with me,” Kennedy said. “They see that I’m fair.”
The Sacramento Press is interviewing City Council candidates in advance of the June 8 election.
Kennedy, 42, is running against four candidates for District 5, the seat held by Lauren Hammond. She is running for Assemblyman Dave Jones' seat.
Oak Park, Curtis Park, Colonial Heights and Tahoe Park West are among the neighborhoods in District 5.
Kennedy, a fourth-generation Sacramentan, lives in Hollywood Park.
Kennedy has received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from plumbers and pipefitters unions in the state. In response to a question about those contributions, Kennedy noted that as a lawyer who represents management and labor, he has "the trust of organizations throughout the state.”
If elected to the City Council, he said he wants to focus funding on police, fire and youth programs.
“During these budget times, we’ve got to look at core missions, core values and core goals of what the city and local government is,” Kennedy said. Public safety is one of the city’s core missions, he said.
Youth programs are another priority for Kennedy. He said that youth programs are necessary to improve public safety. “We have to continue to find ways that we can do a better job of partnering with our school district,”