It’s a safe bet the next District 3 representative on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors will have the initials “S.D.”

That’s because the two declared candidates for the seat are Steve DeBrum and Sonny Dhaliwal.

They both also have similar political experiences and immigration stories.

Dhaliwal is the current mayor of Lathrop and DeBrum is the former mayor of Manteca.

Both are the benefactors of a decision by their families — both farmers — to immigrate half way around the world to California.

DeBrum is a second generation American whose grandfather immigrated from the Azores Islands belonging to Portugal. DeBrum farmed just like his grandfather and father.

Dhaliwal came to the United States when his father, also a farmer, decided he wanted a better life for his family as well. In his case, Dhaliwal came to California from half way around the world from Punjabi, a state in northwestern India.

Both are active in service clubs — Dhaliwal with the Lathrop Lions and DeBrum with the Manteca Kiwanis.

This is the first time Manteca — in more than  40 years — has been in the same supervisorial district. It also represents the first time that the district involving Manteca and Lathrop has a majority of its residents that are not within the City of Stockton.

The district, with roughly 151,000 residents, incudes 88,000 from Manteca, 35,000 from Lathrop, and the balance of 28,000 from northwest Stockton and the Delta area west of Stockton.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com