David Canepa on Elections, AI, and His New Role in San Mateo County

San Mateo County Supervisor and Assessor-Clerk-Recorder-elect David Canepa joins Mark Simon and Bob Marks for a wide-ranging conversation about his upcoming transition to a new countywide office.

Canepa explains why he wanted the job, what he hopes to change in the assessor, elections and clerk-recorder offices, and how he plans to communicate more directly with voters. He discusses election security, cybersecurity, ballot counting, voter education and the challenges of maintaining public confidence in elections.

The conversation also covers Canepa's long political career, his early concerns about artificial intelligence, AI's potential impact on jobs, divisions within the Democratic Party, regional transit funding, local tax and bond measures, and the lessons he learned from running for Congress.

Mark and Bob also examine the San Mateo County District 5 supervisor's race, the lengthy vote-counting process and the national political landscape heading into the 2026 election.

(00:00) - Welcome to The Game & David Canepa

(01:17) - From Supervisor to Assessor-Clerk-Recorder

(03:20) - Can an elected elections official remain nonpartisan?

(05:35) - The District 5 supervisor race and the power of geography

(08:08) - Why Canepa wanted the assessor's office

(10:19) - His plans for the assessor, elections and clerk-recorder offices

(13:19) - Canepa's early concerns about AI

(14:36) - AI, jobs and the need for guardrails