CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Bret Daniels has announced that in light of Supervisor Sue Frost’s surprise announcement to not seek reelection next year, he is leaving the race for Congress and will instead run for Frost’s seat as a County Supervisor. “Sue’s announcement was a BIG surprise to all of us,” said Daniels. “She has done an incredible job serving the community, first as a Councilmember here in Citrus Heights and then as a County Supervisor. It would be an honor to follow her and serve the great people of District 4. This unexpected opportunity allows me to fulfill a desire to serve a greater Cause while also allowing me to be home with my family each night.”

Daniels has served on the Citrus Heights City Council for nearly 13 years. He serves on the Education and Community Programs Committee that recently began the process of studying the feasibility of leaving the San Juan School District and forming the Citrus Heights School District for local control and better accountability. He also serves on numerous regional boards including the Sacramento Air Quality Board and the Regional Transit Board and is a strong advocate for public safety, quality of life, and government spending accountability. “Public Safety is the #1 responsibility of government. It is and will continue to be my #1 priority,” said Daniels. “We all have an absolute right to feel and be safe in our lives. Our kids should be able to play in parks without concern or harm. Our communities should not look like third-world countries with broken down RVs and garbage everywhere.”

Daniels emphasized the need to bring a stronger approach to minimizing homelessness by focusing on giving people a hand up instead of a handout, increasing mental health services and housing facilities, and prosecuting those that commit low-level crimes. “We get what we tolerate,” said Daniels, “For too long, the negative aspects of homelessness, especially blight, have been tolerated. That needs to change. In Citrus Heights, we show compassion by offering people resources for housing and services, but we also take a firm stance on not allowing blight or ignoring low-level crimes. It’s not perfect but it’s a lot better than most places.”

Daniels said his Top Three Priorities will be Public Safety/Homelessness, Transportation/Roads, and Taxes/Spending. “Nothing is more important than your safety and in today’s world, that mostly centers around homelessness and our response to it. You should also be able to drive down the street without hitting potholes big enough to chip your teeth,” Daniels said, “We spend hundreds of millions of dollars on public transportation and other alternatives but nowhere near that on roads. That needs to change. And most importantly, we need to address these issues without asking for more dollars from hardworking families. I have successfully fought two efforts to raise taxes in Citrus Heights, I am a proud member of the Sacramento Taxpayer Association, and I pledge to oppose any effort to raise your taxes.”

Daniels lives in Citrus Heights with his wife Nichole and their 6-year-old daughter. He has three adult children including his daughter Stephanie who is an Instructional Aid at Coyle School in Carmichael, his son Chris who is a Youth Pastor at Lakeside Church in Folsom, and son Brock who is a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. He has lived nearly his entire life in the district since moving to Citrus Heights when he was 12 years old. He has four granddaughters. Daniels is the Founding Member and President of Toys for the Troops Kids, a non-profit organization that has collected and distributed over 150,000 toys to the kids of our military troops during Christmas over the past 20 years. He has served as a PTA President and Little League Coach, is a United States Air Force veteran, enjoyed a 20-year law enforcement career including patrolling the streets of nearly the entire district, and is now retired.