Ryan Coonerty Kicks Off Campaign Thursday

Former Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty will kickoff his campaign for Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors’ 3rd District with a Campaign Kickoff Celebration at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday, October 10th from 5:30 to 7pm.

“I am running for Supervisor because I love this community and I want to help shape its future.  The next generation of Santa Cruzans deserve a community as vibrant as the one I knew growing up here.  I am humbled by the number of community members who are supporting my campaign,” Coonerty said.  

Coonerty continued, “I look forward to joining supporters at the campaign kickoff event on October 10th.”

Santa Cruz Mayor Hilary Bryant was an early endorser of Ryan Coonerty’s candidacy and she will be speaking at the kickoff event.

“I am proud to support Ryan Coonerty’s campaign for 3rd District Supervisor.  He cares deeply about this community and has the ideas, experience and work ethic that this important position requires,” said Mayor Bryant.

Coonerty’s campaign is off to a strong start with an impressive list of endorsements (attached) and a successful fundraising effort. 

“I am proud to have the support of educators, police officers, firefighters, family business owners, labor and environmental leaders, and social service providers.  I look forward to working with all of them to solve our challenges,” Coonerty said.

Coonerty plans to use his experience in public service and as an entrepreneur to address three key issues. “I will work tirelessly to continue the protection of the North Coast and Monterey Bay, to implement a county-wide economic strategy that leverages our unique talents and brand in order to create jobs, and to enact comprehensive approaches to public safety that focus on proactive solutions.”

Coonerty served two terms on the City Council and two terms as Mayor.  During his time on the Council, he was best known for a focus on job creation, public safety and bringing a new generation into civic life.  He also played a key role in the settlement with UC Santa Cruz over their long-range development plan, passing the Clean Oceans, Rivers and Beaches initiative and increasing police presence downtown and in parks and open space.

Coonerty is the son of Bookshop Santa Cruz founder and current Supervisor Neal Coonerty and the late Candy Coonerty.  A graduate of the local public schools, he got his BA from University of Oregon, a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a law degree from the University of Virginia.  He is the co-founder of NextSpace Coworking + Innovation, Director of PredPol, and is a lecturer on law and government at UCSC.  Coonerty is the author of Etched in Stone – Enduring Words from Our National Monuments and The Rise of the Naked Economy – How to Benefit from the Changing Workplace.  He was a cofounder of Santa Cruz NEXT and has served on the boards of the Santa Cruz Education Foundation, Dientes Community Dental Care, the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and numerous other organizations.

He is married to Emily Bernard Coonerty, who manages her family’s long-time business, Dell Williams.  She is the recent past president of the Downtown Association.  They have a young daughter, Daisy Joan Coonerty.