Regnia Lackey is taking the oath of office tonight as the first elected representative of Area 2 — southeast Manteca — on the City Council.

She will be sworn in along with Charlie Halford who was not challenged in bis bid to retain his council seat that was assigned to Area 1 when the city switched to district elections for the four council members.

The council meets at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

Lackey has been a Manteca resident for more than 20 years. 

She has been involved in Scouting and works in real estate.

Lackey is its sixth female council member since the city was incorporated in 1918.

It’s not that Manteca has been reluctant to elect women.

There has been a dearth of women who have campaigned for council seats.

The first to win — Trena Kelley — did so in a big way.

She was the first directly elected mayor in city history prevailing in 1980 voting.

Since then when voting was still at-large citywide, Jeannie Dowhouser, Jeannie Keaster Denise Giordani and Debby Moorhead were all elected.

They were basically the only women – save two — who have ever even run for the council.

Moorhead, who lost her re-election bid in 2020, was one of the longest serving council members since the 1980s. She was on the council for 12 years.

Area 2 consists of Manteca south and east of the 120 Bypass and Union Road as well as the city east of Highway 99 except for The Collective neighborhood.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com