A Stockton City Council hopeful, who declared a bar as her residence while campaigning, has exited the race following her arrest on several serious charges.
Desiree Lynch, a candidate for the District 5 seat, announced her immediate withdrawal from the election on Monday. This decision was confirmed by her lawyer, Allen Sawyer, as reported by KCRA News 3.
In a statement, Sawyer explained, “Ms. Lynch has officially resigned and pulled out of the electoral race with immediate effect. Given the ongoing legal proceedings, there will be no further comments. Ms. Lynch is prioritizing her role as a mother and is dedicating her efforts entirely to her family’s needs.”
Lynch faced arrest last week, confronting five felony charges. These include three counts of perjury, involvement in false voter registration, and submitting deceitful candidacy paperwork.
The accusations assert that Lynch incorrectly claimed residency within District 5, though she actually lived beyond its legal boundaries.
Candidates seeking a seat on the Stockton City Council are required to live in the district they hope to represent. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said its investigation determined Lynch was instead residing in Lodi and North Stockton, including an area within District 1.
Prosecutors allege Lynch used two addresses — one belonging to Harry’s Cocktail Lounge on East Charter Way and another at the Doyle Garden Apartments on East Oak Street — to falsely establish residency in District 5.
Lynch, a mother and nurse, had campaigned on promises to bring “real solutions for working families” and clean up both City Hall and Stockton’s streets.
“Stockton residents are frustrated, angry, and heartbroken by what’s happening in our city. Infighting at City Hall, neglect of our neighborhoods, and rising crime have left too many people questioning whether our leaders are truly listening,” her campaign website said.
Before her arrest, Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi’s office had called on Lynch to suspend her campaign amid questions surrounding her residency. Lynch initially refused.
“If questions were serious enough to raise concerns about the integrity of the process before today, they remain serious enough to answer tomorrow,” Fugazi said in a statement.
Following Lynch’s arrest, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office accused her of attempting to cheat the system by manufacturing a false address.
“The integrity of our elections is the bedrock of our democratic process, and we must ensure that every election is run fairly and without fraud,” the DA’s office said. “The constituents of this community deserve a representative who actually lives in their neighborhoods, not an opportunist manufacturing a fake address to cheat the system.”
Lynch was booked into jail on $100,000 bail following her arrest.
She is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 2 and faces a maximum sentence of six years and eight months in state prison if convicted.