California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Laura Capps County Supervisor for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, District 2, where she was elected on June 7, 2022 to serve for a four-year term starting Jan. 10, 2023.
The appointment comes after previous Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart resigned last week to be sworn in as the state assemblymember representing Santa Barbara County and the 37th Assembly District.
Pursuant to California Government Code section 25060, whenever a vacancy occurs in a board of supervisors, the Governor shall fill the vacancy. The appointee shall hold office until the election and qualification of his or her successor.
Capps was elected as the Second District Supervisor of Santa Barbara County in the June 7, 2022 primary elections, but her term was not formally set to start until January. Governor Newsom’s decision to appoint Capps into Hart’s vacant seat will allow the County Board of Supervisors meetings and votes to continue with all five members throughout December.
“Thanks to Governor Newsom we are not skipping a beat between Supervisor Hart’s effective service to the county and the beginning of mine,” said Supervisor Capps, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to make progress on the urgent challenges our county faces, predominantly housing, poverty, drought, climate change, economic recovery, and mental and public health.”
Capps comes to the Board of Supervisors after leaving her seat at the Santa Barbara Unified School District, a position she has been in since 2016. Capps has deep roots in Santa Barbara County, specifically the district she is now serving. The Supervisor was born at Cottage Hospital and spent her early years in Goleta before her family moved to Santa Barbara.
“I have worked in and around all levels of government for my entire career. I understand deeply that my role is to help make people’s lives better, as best I can. Thankfully, I have a stellar team already in place. From day one, our work will center on the children of our county and their future,” said Capps.
Supervisor Capps was sworn in just before her first board meeting the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. When Capps officially starts her elected term, a swearing-in ceremony will take place on Jan. 10, 2023.
