The Stockton City Council is whole once again.
Harrison Elementary Principal Dan Wright was selected Tuesday to fill the seat that Kathy Miller vacated after her election to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. Wright has already been sworn in and will serve out the remaining two years of Miller’s term.
Wright was chosen from a pool of five applicants after a public interview session and ranked vote—a process which has been criticized by some council members. The four other candidates were Randall Hatch, Jeffrey Hislop, Peter Viri and Rev. Dwight Williams, who lost by one point.
“I think [Wright] was seen as someone who can bring peace and stability,” said Mayor Anthony Silva, who gave him a second-place vote. “We all acknowledge that to build a city for the future we have to have a bridge between the city and education. As an administrator he can help navigate a better relationship with the school districts.”
Wright is a former Stockton Unified assistant superintendent with a bachelor's in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin and a master's in educational administration from California State University-Los Angeles. He also completed doctoral work in educational administration from the University of the Pacific.
Wright will join two other newcomers on the city council: Susan Lofthus and Christina Fugazi.
Read more about Dan Wright here.