Former Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum is weighing a run for the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors  in 2024.

DeBrum Thursday said he was “seriously” considering campaigning for the District 3 seat. He has started reaching out to various community leaders in a bid to make his final decision.

“Due to its nature, running for supervisor is something that you have to consider starting about two years out,” DeBrum said.

DeBrum is referring to the fact it is not just one community that is being represented.

The new District 3 lines adopted last year and the fact incumbent Tom Patti is terming out means the 2024 election cycle is the best chance in more than half a century for someone from Manteca-Lathrop to serve on the five-member county board.

Up until last year Manteca has been divided in half, been placed in separate supervisorial districts from Lathrop, and used as “filler” to balance out a portion of four predominately Stockton districts.

But as the South County growth rate has been outpacing Stockton in recent decades, the opportunity arose to not only keep Manteca whole but put Lathrop in the same district as well.

Lathrop, since homes started selling at River Islands seven years ago, was divided between two supervisorial districts as well. Lathrop, just like Manteca, was made whole, in the redistricting.

Manteca for the first time since 1980 is not split between two supervisorial districts. The new District 3 has 151,967 residents based on the 2020 census with 86,000 of them living in Manteca.

The rest of the new District 3 includes areas west of Stockton and parts of the City of Stockton’s eastern side. It also includes the Weston Ranch area of Stockton.

Manteca will be split between Districts 3 and 5 until the end of 2024. That’s when the two seats are up for grabs.  Patti — who represents Manteca north of Yosemite Avenue, Lathrop, and a chunk of western Stockton plus the Delta — will be termed out. Robert Rickman, who represents Manteca south of Yosemite Avenue, Tracy, and Mountain House — will be ending his first four-year term. Supervisors are limited to two terms.

DeBrum was first elected to the Manteca City Council in a 2003 special election.

He was elected mayor in 2014 by defeating Ben Cantu by nearly a 25 percent margin.

Four years later, Cantu defeated DeBrum when he sought a second term as mayor.

DeBrum, altogether served 15 years on the City Council.

He was the driving force behind landing Great Wolf resort.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com