City Council District 3 includes the neighborhoods of Arden Fair, Ben Ali, Boulevard Park, Cal Expo, Campus Commons, Cannon Industrial Park, CSUS, East Sacramento, Erikson Industrial Park, Hagginwood, Mansion Flats, Marshall School, Midtown, Winn Park, Capital Avenue, New Era Park, Point West, River Park, Sierra Oaks, and Swanston Estates.

The district is currently represented by Steve Cohn.

Elections and Politics

The last election for the third District City Council seat was held in June of 2006. In that election, incumbent City Councilman Steve Cohn defeated challenger Bruce Pomer by a margin of 74 - 25%. The race was expected to be more competitive, however, as a result of an illness in the family Bruce Pomer withdrew from the race midway through the campaign. Despite his strong showing in 2006, and his rumored candidacy for Mayor in 2008, Steve Cohn is expected to face a tougher race, should he chose to seek re-election in 2010. This fact has nothing to do with voter dissatisfaction with Cohn, and is likely to be the result of the District's changing demographics.

As the population of Midtown continues to grow, it is becoming younger, more liberal, and more socially active. It is likely that during the next Council Election the Midtown will flex its political muscle and challenge the old guard from East Sacramento that has long dominated the District's politics.

Issues Facing the District

The important issues facing the Third Council District vary depending on the neighborhoods. While, East Sacramento is generally one of the safest neighborhoods in the City, occasional crime waves are not unheard of in Midtown and its surrounding areas. Most violent crime in Midtown occurs in the early morning hours when the areas many nars and nightclubs close and their patrons begin to head home. While this violence is sometimes random, it mostly occurs between groups who reside outside area, but come in to enjoy the nightlife. Recently, the District has been the site of increased vandalism, especially gang related tagging and graffiti.

As in many older areas throughout the country, redevelopment and gentrification are a problem. East Sacramento has recently witnessed a rash of home remodels that have resulted in the replacement of modest homes with "McMansions" that dwarf other homes in the neighborhood. Similar growing pains are occurring in Midtown, where new residents find themselves in conflict with long established businesses. A recent example of this type of conflict it the ongoing dispute between residents of the newly completed St. Anton building and the owners of The Distillery, a well established bar, restaurant and live music venue. Noise complaints by new residents have nearly cause the City to close down the Sacramento Institution.