Jim Dantona, CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, announced he will run for the second district seat of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in next year’s election.
The coastal district stretches from the Monterey County line through Los Osos and includes parts of San Luis Obispo.
Dantona said he plans to step down from his chamber position at the end of the year to focus on the campaign. After nearly a decade of living in the region, he said it was encouragement from local residents, and the news that current Supervisor Bruce Gibson would not seek re-election, that prompted him to run.
“As I thought about it more and more and talked with some neighbors and residents, they encouraged me to do it,” Dantona said. “And I said, ‘Okay, well, let’s give it a shot.’”
Dantona, a Democrat, said his campaign will focus on three main issues: increasing access to housing, preserving open space and natural areas, and creating better-paying jobs, especially for younger residents facing rising living costs.
“People who have grown up here for generations are telling me they’re having a tough time with their kids trying to stay here,” he said. “How do you afford a house? Even the rents are astronomical.”
Dantona said he wants to strike a balance between development and protecting the natural spaces that define life on the Central Coast, such as beaches and hiking trails.
The primary election is scheduled for June 2026.
