Statement on Belia Ramos vs. Mariam Aboudamous Supervisor Race

As the District 5 race for Supervisor continues, I would like to take an opportunity to comment on the reasons that the Napa County Farm Bureau has endorsed Mariam Aboudamous for Supervisor.

In 2016, the Farm Bureau endorsed Belia Ramos for Supervisor. After having developed experience with her as a county supervisor for the last four years, our board of directors voted to revoke her endorsement in favor of Mariam Aboudamous. We did this for many reasons.

Over the course of 4 years, including numerous meetings and encounters with Supervisor Ramos, we have become highly troubled with her routine deficiencies in understanding ag-specific public policy. Ramos has demonstrated a consistent record of equivocating on positions related to ag and an unwillingness to want to work with all sides. Her record on ag preservation has been highly inconsistent and disconcerting. There have been many circumstances where Ramos consistently has had trouble articulating a credible understanding of the issues before her.

As the oldest agricultural organization in Napa Valley, we take our responsibility to our membership seriously and understand that public policy decisions directly impact our members’ ability to live, work and thrive in Napa County. This is why we have endorsed Mariam Aboudamous for Supervisor.

We met with both candidates and undertook a thorough vetting process. It was clear that Aboudamous has the skill and ability to understand complex public policy issues and arrive at creative, workable solutions. Additionally, Aboudamous demonstrated the real professionalism and the skill-set to make an altruistic elected official. Moreover, she exhibits the qualities of a selfless leader whose paramount focus is serving the people.

The last few years have shown us that defending sound public policy is more important than ever. One of the primary components to achieving this is working with elected officials who understand the issues before them and demonstrate a true willingness to work with others. This is why we are proud to endorse Mariam Aboudamous for Supervisor. We encourage the voters of District 5 to elect Mariam Aboudamous, a leader who is qualified to lead for the betterment of Napa County.

Johnnie White
President
Napa County Farm Bureau