City Council appoints Shoun Thao as interim District 2 City Councilmember
Sacramento (March 26, 2024) - The Sacramento City Council Tuesday unanimously appointed Shoun Thao to serve as interim District 2 City Councilmember. Thao will be sworn in at the next regular meeting and will serve in this capacity until the elected District 2 councilmember takes office on December 10, 2024.
Thao has deep roots in North Sacramento, where his family still lives. He is a graduate of Grant Union High School and UC Davis, and worked as a Council Representative for former District 2 Councilmember Allen Warren. Thao currently serves as executive director of Hmong Youth & Parents United, a nonprofit focused on youth and marginalized communities. His parents were in the audience when he was chosen to represent his community.
“As someone who understands the challenges of our community, I am committed to helping provide a sense of stability for our district at City Hall until a new councilmember can be elected to fill that role in November,” Thao said.
Thao is filling a seat left vacant in January when former District 2 Councilmember Sean Loloee resigned after being indicted on federal fraud and labor charges. With candidates Roger Dickinson and Stephen Walton headed to a runoff in November, the Council decided to appoint a caretaker to serve until the election.
A dozen people applied. The Council’s Personnel and Public Employees Committee held a public panel interview in the community and forwarded three finalists to the Council, including Thao, Sacramento Youth Center co-founder Raquel Shipp, and retired public sector leader and consultant Timothy Smith.
All the members of the City Council praised the selection process, led by PP&E Chairwoman Lisa Kaplan, and the quality of the applicants.
Since January, District 2 has been represented by Mayor Steinberg, whose office has met extensively with community members and launched initiatives like a weekly cleanup of the Northern Bike Trail that includes outreach to unhoused residents.
