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PRESS RELEASE
*For Immediate Release*
Merced, September 7, 2022: The Merced Police Officers’ Association unanimously voted to endorse Shane Smith for the open Merced City Council seat in District 4. Shane announced his candidacy on July 18, 2022, and will vie for the seat in the November 8, 2022 election.
“We are impressed by Shane’s strong commitment to public safety in Merced,” said Myles Richter, President of the Merced Police Officers’ Association. “He understands the importance of a well-trained and properly staffed police department to the residents of Merced. MPOA looks forward to working with Shane on a successful campaign.”
Upon making this announcement, Shane said, “I am thrilled to earn the unanimous endorsement of Merced’s police officers. I am committed to working with City government to ensure that our women and men in uniform have the resources they need to keep our community safe.”
This is the second major endorsement of Shane by Merced’s public safety professionals. On August 26, 2022, Shane’s campaign announced the unanimous endorsement of Merced City Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1479.
Shane Smith has a history of civic involvement in Merced. In 2018, Shane was elected as a trustee of the Merced City School District serving the City’s northeast and north-central neighborhoods. He relentlessly fought for the best interests of children and the value of parent choice during the COIVD-19 shutdown.
Shane has been a stalwart contributor to City of Merced initiatives as well. In 2015 he was an active member of the citizens’ commission that developed the City of Merced’s first Council district boundaries. In 2019, Shane chaired the City of Merced’s Charter Review Committee and stewarded the successful passage of Measures K, L, and M to enact Charter amendments that same year. In 2020, in the midst of our nation’s emotional discussion of race relations in America, Shane was invited to serve on the Police Advisory Committee alongside representatives from the Merced Police Department and a diverse group of residents to thoroughly review all police “use of force” policies.
Shane currently serves as Vice President of the Board of the Merced Symphony Association and chairs the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Merced County Association of Governments.
During the workday, Shane is a partner at one of the largest law firms in the Central
Valley. He focuses his practice on federal civil litigation and intellectual property to protect business innovation. While attending Berkeley Law in 2009, Shane externed for Chief Justice Ronald George on the California Supreme Court. He has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from UC Davis.
To learn more about Shane’s campaign for Merced City Council District 4 visit
www.shanesmithformercedcouncil4.com.
