Sacramento councilman Sean Loloee will have at least one challenger if he runs again
If Sacramento Councilman Sean Loloee runs for re-election, he will have at least one serious challenger.
Tamika L’Ecluse has filed paperwork to raise money to run for the North Sacramento seat. L’Ecluse, 42, is an elected member of the American River Flood Control board. It’s not her first council run. She unsuccessfully challenged former Councilman Jay Schenirer in 2018 for a south Sacramento seat before moving to North Sacramento about three years ago.
But she said she thinks she has a better chance this time around because many in the district do not believe Loloee actually lives there. The Sacramento Bee in June reported that it did not appear Loloee lived in the Hagginwood house where he said he lived, and could instead be living in his wife’s $1.4 million Granite Bay house.
A city investigation later found Loloee did live there, along with employees of his grocery store, while his wife and kids live in Granite Bay. But the California Fair Political Practices Commission is still investigating. The district comprises some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, including Del Paso Heights, where L’Ecluse used to live before moving to nearby Swanston Estates, she said.
“It’s taxation without representation,” L’Ecluse said of Loloee. “The problem I have is you don’t actually feel the struggles of the people who are living here day to day. I live here and raise my family here. I have to worry about my kids’ safety when they go to the mall. When you live in the place, you feel that struggle.”
In addition to the residency questions, Loloee is being sued by the U.S. Department of Labor, which alleges he threatened to deport his employees for cooperating with a federal investigation. That case is ongoing.
It’s unclear whether Loloee will run for re-election. He did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. He has filed paperwork with the city to raise money to run, but that does not necessarily mean he will do so.
L’Ecluse is a former staffer in Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela’s office. But L’Ecluse is not as far to the left as Valenzuela. She has not and will not accept campaign money from police, but she does not consider herself a democratic socialist. She said she wants to audit the police department to get a full picture of “vacancies, spending and military equipment,” but didn’t say she wants to reduce police funding.
On homelessness, L’Ecluse said she wants the district to open many more shelters, tiny homes and Safe Ground sanctioned campsites, including on the northeastern edge of the city, near Del Paso Regional Park. She also wants to explore whether existing RV parks or vacant buildings can be used by the homeless.
L’Ecluse was born in Sacramento on Mather Air Force base, she said. She was a teacher for about 20 years and is now a small business owner. She is the vice president of Sacramento Investment Without Displacement, which is working with the city on an agreement to prevent displacement in Oak Park due to the UC Davis Aggie Square project. She is also a leader of Black Women Organized for Political Action, and is president of the Sutter Middle School Parent Teacher Student Organization.
Former Twin Rivers School Board member Ramona Landeros, who lost to Loloee in 2020, also plans to run for the seat, she said. Former Democratic state assemblyman Roger Dickinson is also considering a run, he said.
The primary election will be held March 5. If no single candidate receives at least 50.01% of the vote, the general election for the District 2 seat will be held Nov. 5.