by Max Chun, Lookout Santa Cruz |
Chris Krohn says he wasn’t really considering running for Santa Cruz mayor even six months ago, but when he kept hearing concerns that there might be only one candidate — longtime politico Ryan Coonerty — he decided to go for it. He sees a lack of candidates as a problem, adding that, while he likes District 3 County Supervisor Justin Cummings personally, him running unopposed for reelection to that seat is “bad for democracy.”
“I’ll never attack Ryan on his character, integrity or anything like that, because I think he loves Santa Cruz and just has a different vision of Santa Cruz than I have,” Krohn said of Coonerty. “I think the folks who are running now all have different, particular interests that we want to put forward, and they’re not the same, but it’s much more wide-ranging and promotes a debate and discussion.”
“Are these people producing housing for folks who live here? My contention is they are not,” he said, arguing that much of the new housing mostly caters to second-home buyers or people in the tech industry. “I’m afraid they want to bring in a different class of people.”