Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal will have a decade of experience at the helm of one of California’s fastest growing cities when his name appears on the ballot in November for a sixth consecutive term.

But he won’t be the only one running for the city’s top elected spot, and he won’t be the only one with ideas on how to improve the qualify of life for the city’s residents.

John Thanh Do, a healthcare accountant and newcomer to Lathrop politics, said that he wants to make sure that the city takes the steps necessary to protect existing residents while at the time providing the amenities that often accompany growth.

“Programs that protect and ease our city’s growth from overcrowding and traffic” are needed, according to the candidate statement the challenger provided to the city. “Our city is only getting bigger and better, (and) we must take action to protect our quality of life.”

In addition to ensuring that the city grows responsibly, Do hopes to be able to see renovations at the Lathrop Community Center as well as increasing the number of police officers that patrol the city’s streets – ensuring that Lathrop remains a safe place for families to raise their children.

Given his wealth of experience in politics, Dhaliwal touted the accomplishments that Lathrop has made during his tenure while at the time celebrating the achievement of the city’s longstanding goal of having its own police department.

“It’s an honor to serve you as your Mayor for 10 years,” Dhaliwal wrote. “During this time, your city council has worked diligently to create a business-friendly environment to attract jobs to our city.

“The expansion of Tesla’s manufacturing plant, Wayfair, Ashley Furniture distribution center, United Parcel Service and Flying J are contributing hundreds of jobs for Lathrop residents and millions of dollars of sales tax revenue for our city. This revenue has enabled us to start our own police department with seven additional officers to protect you and your loved ones.”

While the City of Lathrop has the standard four-year terms for members of the Lathrop City Council, those that are elected mayor must defend the seat every two years – ensuring that most of the council is up for reelection during every cycle.

Dhaliwal has said that he has routinely inquired amongst the council about who would like to replace him when he feels that his time at the helm has been completed. Before he announced his candidacy Dhaliwal polled members of the public on social media to see if they would like for him to run again and receiving overwhelming support – which he cited in discussing his reasons for pursuing a record sixth term.