Whenever there’s an open seat on Marin County’s five-member Board of Supervisors, prospective candidates are well-advised to get an early start. That enables them to get their name out, raise funds and obtain key endorsements.

That’s happening in North Marin’s Fifth Supervisorial District which includes most of Novato, Bel Marin Keys and Ignacio.

The incumbent, Supervisor Eric Lucan, isn’t running for reelection. Instead, the Novato Democrat is vying to succeed Assemblymember Damon Connolly in the Marin-Sonoma 12th Assembly District.

The primary election isn’t until June 2026. Three strong candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring to succeed Lucan: Magali Limeta, Mark Milberg and Andy Podshadley.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and chat with them. The good news is that the clean, issue-oriented campaigning that occurred last year in District 2 representing Ross Valley, Larkspur and Kentfield is being replicated.

All three declared District 5 candidates are qualified. They’re committed to running respectful, issue-oriented campaigns. American civic life would be far healthier if Washington and Sacramento politicians did likewise.

Limeta is a first-generation Mexican American born and raised in Novato. She earned an anthropology degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Professionally, Limeta is a senior revenue cycle analyst for UCSF Medical Center. In 2022, she was elected to the Novato Unified School District Board of Trustees where she currently serves as vice president. Limeta is also a member of the Marin County Democratic Party Central Committee.

Milberg is a member of the Novato City Council. He was appointed in 2021 to fill a council vacancy. In 2022, he was elected to a full four-year term in the District 5, which serves Hamilton, Ignacio and South Novato. The past Novato mayor works at Ultragenyx, a biotech company, and is their senior director of clinical outsourcing. The UC Davis grad also holds a Master of Science in social welfare from UC Berkeley and an MBA from San Francisco State University.

Podshadley is the owner of Trek Wine, a Downtown Novato business that combines a tasting room for their vintages and a venue for live entertainment and weddings. The Novato native, a graduate of Sonoma State and UC Davis, is past president of the Novato Chamber of Commerce and its Downtown Business Association. He was the 2024 Republican nominee in the Assembly District 12 race. Podshadley has since changed his registration to “no party preference” independent. “I was never a Trumper,” he said.

“The issues that matter to me are those that touch us all — housing, zoning, regulations and permitting, traffic, fire preparedness and homelessness,” Podshadley said. “It’s time for our Board of Supervisors to have a fresh voice. I’ve studied tiny homes, I’ve picked up trash, I’ve coached youth sports and I’ve started businesses. I have real-world experiences necessary to confront basic local problems.”

Milberg’s guiding principle is “getting stuff done.” He touts that, due to the voter-approved sales tax, Novato eliminated its structural budget deficit and now has up-to-date audited financial statements. His passion: “Our city and the county don’t pay sufficient attention to addressing homelessness.” Milberg points out models for Marin to follow: Palm Springs and Santa Cruz have made significant progress by erecting tiny homes on secure sites with supportive mental health services.

Limeta is focused on “treating everyone with respect.” Her priorities include addressing unresolved issues of the unhoused, wildfire protection, unavailability of affordable homeowner fire insurance and the lack of housing for our next generation. On insurance reform, Limeta believes Marin should become a statewide model of how to do it right.

All three candidates have their priorities set right. The challenge of the campaign is for each of them to fill in the blanks by telling voters precise details on how they’ll achieve their lofty goals.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.