Who is Shoun Thao, the Sacramento City Council District 2 appointee?
(FOX40.COM) — The Sacramento City Council appointed Shoun Thao to serve as an interim member in the District 2 seat Tuesday.
Thao will likely be sworn in during the city council’s next regular scheduled meeting on April 9, according to the city’s website. He will serve the remainder of the current term, which will end later this year.
With only several dozen ballots to count, Roger Dickinson and Stephen Walton are likely facing each other in a November runoff for the full term that begins later this year.
The newly appointed councilmember will serve as the caretaker in District 2 until the winner of the November race takes office on Dec. 10.
“I feel excited to get to work and definitely that district’s been going without representation or a representative for a while,” Thao told FOX40.com Tuesday. “So, I hope to step in to fill the void.”
The District 2 seat was previously held by Sean Loloee, who resigned in January after being indicted on several federal fraud and labor charges.
District 2 had been represented by Mayor Darrell Steinberg since Loloee’s resignation. The district encompasses the Northern Sacramento areas of Del Paso Heights, Hagginwood and Robla.
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The city’s process to filling the vacancy
Following Loloee’s resignation, the city of Sacramento opened the application process to whoever wanted to serve the partial term.
The application period closed on Feb. 29 and initial interviews were conducted on March 14 by the Sacramento Personnel and Public Employees Committee, led by District 1 councilmember Lisa Kaplan.
Thao was among a dozen applicants and emerged as one of the top candidates.
In his application to the city, Thao said he believes District 2’s top three issues are housing and homelessness, public safety and economic development.
“I believe that we need to bring the district together,” Thao told during Tuesday’s meeting. “And to bring the district together you need somebody that’s lived there, somebody who’s been able to work with community members from all communities and I think I have a track record of that.”
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What are Thao’s roots in District 2?
Thao is a product of North Sacramento, attending Grant Union High School and returning to work in the community after graduating from UC Davis in 2012.
Thao’s family still lives in the area and own Jimmy’s Deli Soul Food & Hmong Cuisine, a restaurant near Grant High.
In his application, Thao previously worked for the city of Sacramento from 2013 to 2020 in the offices of the mayor and council.
Thao previously worked as a council representative for former District 2 councilmember Allen Warren, according to the mayor’s office.
He currently serves as the executive director of Hmong Youth & Parents United, a nonprofit focused on youth and marginalized communities.
Thao’s application says he’s currently an ambassador for the city’s Neighborhood Development Action Team (NDAT). According to the city’s website, NDAT aims to ensure Sacramento’s neighborhoods and commercial districts “reflect a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy.”
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