Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum has submitted his official re-election paperwork with the City Clerk placing his name on the ballot in the Nov. 6 election.

DeBrum is being challenged by Ben Cantu who he defeated by nearly a 25 percent margin during his first run for mayor in 2014.

Previously, he had served on the Manteca City Council since being elected in a 2003 Special Election.  

“It’s been my honor and privilege to serve the people of Manteca first as your City Councilmember and now as your mayor,” DeBrum said, “I am proud of the progress we have made in hiring police officers and firefighters, upgrading city streets, attracting new retail outlets and large employers and creating more jobs while growing in a healthy and sustainable way.  We have also made great strides in assisting over 200 homeless people get off the streets.  We have accomplished much and I’m excited about community’s future.  I am seeking re-election so we can continue to move Manteca forward together.”

DeBrum has earned the endorsement of Congressman Jeff Denham, the Manteca Police Officers and Firefighters Associations, the San Joaquin County Sheriff, all five San Joaquin County Supervisors, Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristin Olsen, current Manteca City Councilmembers Mike Morowit, Debby Moorhead, Gary Singh, Rich Silverman, former Mayors Willie Weatherford and Jack Snyder, retired Police Chiefs Nick Obligacion and Charlie Halford, retired Fire Chief Kirk Waters and many others.

During his time on the Council, DeBrum has advocated for for increased public safety funding for the local police and firefighters.  His priorities and accomplishments also include creating a structurally balanced city budget, establishing a “rainy day” budgetary  contingency fund, increasing government transparency and bringing family wage jobs to the community.

DeBrum was born in Hanford grew up there and graduated from Hanford High School.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from California State Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo. He went to work for Foremost Foods Company in their laboratory and later in the Field Department. In 1979, he  was hired as the Dairy Manager for Knudsen Agricultural Management Company. 

In 1984, DeBrum began service from his home base in Manteca as the Area Field Representative for a number of dairy farmers, an agricultural marketing cooperative which went on to become Dairy Farmers of America. He recently retired as DFA’s Northern California manager to devote all of his time to the City of Manteca. 

     He currently serves on the County’s Criminal Justice Task Force, the Manteca Unified School District 2 x 2 Common Goals Committee, as a member of the San Joaquin Council of Governments, the Second Harvest Food Bank Board and as Board Member of the San Joaquin Partnership.

DeBrum  is active in a number of professional clubs and associations, and recently retired as President of the California Creamery Operators Association and is a past member of the California Auctioneers Association. He is also the past president of the Manteca Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Manteca Chamber of Commerce and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Manteca Boys and Girls Club. 

He is a member of the Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis, where he has served as Lt. Governor for the California, Nevada, and Hawaii region. He has served as a past state officer for the Future Farmers of America. As an active member of Manteca’s St. Anthony’s Parish, he has served in the role of Grand Knight with the St. Anthony’s Knights of Columbus. 

DeBrum and his wife Veronica have been married for 50 years. They have two grown children, five grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.