Jim Cooper (California politician)

Jim Cooper
37th Sheriff of Sacramento County
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 16, 2022
Preceded byScott Jones
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 9th district
In office
December 1, 2014 – December 8, 2022
Preceded byRichard Pan
Succeeded byStephanie Nguyen
Personal details
Born (1964-01-05) January 5, 1964 (age 61)
Verdun, France
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseKristen
Children4
Residence(s)Elk Grove, California, U.S.
ProfessionSheriff

James Cooper (born January 5, 1964) is the current Sheriff of Sacramento County [1] and politician who served in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat who represented the 9th Assembly District, which encompassed portions of Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.

Cooper was a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus and Assistant Majority Floor Leader.[2] Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2014, he was an Elk Grove Founding Mayor and 15-year City Councilmember and 30-year Sacramento County Sheriff's Captain.

On March 3, 2022, Cooper was stopped by TSA officers at the Sacramento airport for having a loaded gun in his purse.[3] Cooper was sworn in as the sheriff of Sacramento County, California on December 16, 2022.

Political positions

Cooper was graded an “F” in 2020 by the California Rifle and Pistol Association for his positions associated with the Second Amendment.[4]

Cooper has also been described as a "crusader against criminal justice reform".[5] Examples of this include his opposition to Proposition 47 and support for Proposition 20.[6]

Cooper is opposed to fossil fuel divestment and played a key role in halting the progression of SB 1173, a bill that would have forced CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from most fossil fuel holdings.[7][8][9][10][11]

Sacramento County Sheriff 2010

Cooper unsuccessfully ran for Sheriff of Sacramento County, California in 2010 and lost against Scott Jones. Before running, he had a thirty-year career in various positions at the Sheriff's office.[12]

He ran again in 2022, where he won the election and currently serves as Sheriff for the County of Sacramento.

California State Assembly 2014-2022

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2014
California's 9th State Assembly district election, 2014
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Cooper 18,923 31.1
Democratic Darrell Fong 17,752 29.2
Republican Tim Gorsulowsky 10,938 18.0
Republican Manuel J. Martin 8,111 13.3
Democratic Diana Rodriguez-Suruki 5,080 8.4
Total votes 60,804 100.0
General election
Democratic Jim Cooper 50,188 55.5
Democratic Darrell Fong 40,220 44.5
Total votes 90,408 100.0
Democratic hold
See also: California State Assembly election, 2016
California's 9th State Assembly district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 64,879 69.9
Republican Timothy Scott Gorsulowsky 27,924 30.1
Total votes 92,803 100.0
General election
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 109,979 66.8
Republican Timothy Scott Gorsulowsky 54,729 33.2
Total votes 164,708 100.0
Democratic hold
See also: California State Assembly election, 2018
California's 9th State Assembly district election, 2018
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 49,675 67.8
Democratic Harry He 11,927 16.3
Democratic Mario Garcia 11,643 15.9
Total votes 73,245 100.0
General election
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 92,951 68.3
Democratic Harry He 43,225 31.7
Total votes 136,176 100.0
Democratic hold
2020 California's 9th State Assembly district election
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 50,609 43.8
Republican Eric M. Rigard 33,997 29.4
Democratic Tracie Stafford 27,974 24.2
Democratic Mushtaq A. Tahirkheli 3,015 2.6
Total votes 115,595 100.0
General election
Democratic Jim Cooper (incumbent) 142,088 65.8
Republican Eric M. Rigard 73,742 34.2
Total votes 215,830 100.0
Democratic hold

2022 Sacramento County Sheriff

On March 15, 2022, Cooper announced that he would be a candidate for Sacramento County Sheriff.[13] In the election, he defeated his opponent, undersheriff Jim Barnes with 54.48% of the vote.[14]

Sacramento County Sheriff
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jim Cooper 168,374 54.5
Nonpartisan Jim Barnes 140,803 45.5
Total votes 309,177 100.0

References

  1. ^ "Sac Sheriff". www.sacsheriff.com. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. ^ "CLBC Members Legislative Black Caucus". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  3. ^ "Sacramento County Sheriff candidate stopped at airport with loaded gun in carry-on". March 8, 2022.
  4. ^ "CRPA 2020 Congressional Candidates Ratings and Endorsements" (PDF). Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "In Liberal California, A Crusader Against Criminal Justice Reform". The Appeal. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  6. ^ "California gears up for blockbuster year of ballot measures". politico.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "California bill requiring CalPERS, CalSTRS to divest halted by committee chair". Pensions & Investments. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "'Moral Failure': California Dem Pulls Plug on Fossil Fuel Divestment Legislation". Common Dreams. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  9. ^ Venteicher, Wes (June 21, 2022). "California pension funds won't be forced to divest from oil, gas after bill is withdrawn". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  10. ^ "Analysis | Bills in blue states target the fossil fuel industry for climate damage". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  11. ^ Cantu, Aaron. "Advocates Fear Top Democratic Lawmaker Will Kill California Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill". Visalia Times-Delta. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Gonzalez, Vicki (May 19, 2022). "Sacramento County Sheriff: Who's running in the June 7 primary election". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  13. ^ "Jim Cooper Runs for Sheriff a Second Time". March 15, 2022.
  14. ^ Miles-Tan, Sarah (June 27, 2022). "Assembly member Jim Cooper will be Sacramento County's next sheriff". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved December 2, 2022.