Desiree Lynch, a candidate for Stockton City Council, has withdrawn from the race after being arrested and charged with multiple felonies related to her residency claims. Her attorney confirmed her immediate resignation from the District 5 contest on Monday.
Lynch faces five felony charges, including three counts of perjury, causing or allowing false voter registration, and filing a false nomination or declaration of candidacy. Prosecutors allege that Lynch claimed to live within District 5 to meet candidacy requirements but actually resided in Lodi and North Stockton, including an area within District 1. Candidates for Stockton City Council are mandated to reside in the district they aim to represent.
According to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, Lynch allegedly used two addresses to falsely establish her residency in District 5: Harry’s Cocktail Lounge on East Charter Way and the Doyle Garden Apartments on East Oak Street. The District Attorney's office stated that the investigation found Lynch was not living in District 5 and accused her of attempting to deceive the electoral process.
"The integrity of our elections is the bedrock of our democratic process, and we must ensure that every election is run fairly and without fraud," the DA's office said in a statement. "The constituents of this community deserve a representative who actually lives in their neighborhoods, not an opportunist manufacturing a fake address to cheat the system."
Lynch, who campaigned on promises of addressing city issues and supporting working families, had previously refused to suspend her campaign when asked by Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi's office amid the residency questions. Fugazi had stated that if the concerns were serious enough to be raised, they remained serious enough to be answered.
Lynch was booked into jail on $100,000 bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on September 2 and faces a potential maximum sentence of six years and eight months in state prison if convicted.