Former Mayor Ben Cantu indicated he intends to run for the District 1 City Council seat in 2028.

The seat — which represents southwest Manteca generally south of Louise Avenue and west of Union Road — is currently held by Charlie Halford who indicated he isn’t planning on seeking a third term.

Cantu’s possible run has indirect implications in the upcoming November mayoral race given he has  openly endorsed Jacob Naven who is running against incumbent Gary Singh.

Naven has been endorsed by two of the three living past mayors with the other being Willie Weatherford.

Former Mayor Steve DeBrum, who served between Weatherford and Cantu, has declined to endorse either Naven or Singh.

“They’re both friends of mine,” DeBrum said. “They are both capable people.”

DeBrum added that Singh has a strong grasp of how things work while Naven has a learning curve in that aspect.

DeBrum, who resides in District 2 currently represented by Regina Lackey whose term ends in 2028 along  with Halford’s, made it clear he isn’t pondering a City Council return as Cantu indicated he’s working toward.

“I only really had two years,” Cantu said given the pandemic covered two of his four-year term reducing has ability at the time to work to institute changes.

Local governments’ top prority was keeping basic municipal services going and weathering the lockdown and other jarring impacts of the pandemic.

Since Manteca went to the direct election of mayor in 1980, there have only been one former mayor to make a council comeback after being defeated, which was Jack Snyder.

Snyder served a combined 24 years on the council or as mayor.

Snyder was defeated in 1988 by Frank Warren when he sought his third term as mayor.

His political comeback was triggered by the election of Weatherford to the mayor’s post in 1998.

Weatherford’s election created a council vacancy that Snyder was appointed to fill. He was elected to a then citywide council seat for a four-year term two years later.

There was also one council member since 1980 who was defeated and then staged a comeback — current Councilman Mike Morowit.

Morowit is seeking his second consecutive four-year term — and  third overall — in the November  election.

No one has indicated yet that they may challenge him for the fourth district seat.

The fourth district consists of everything north of Louise Avenue with the exception of the California Classics neighborhood east of Cottage Avenue.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com