After a marathon of presentations and interviews Thursday, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors narrowed a field of 12 applicants to three finalists for sheriff — a position the board now has the rare opportunity to fill.

The seat became vacant after supervisors voted to remove former Sheriff Christina Corpus, a first in California history, citing allegations of conflict of interest and retaliation against deputies — accusations she has denied.

Under consideration are David Lazar, a retired San Francisco Police Department assistant chief; Kenneth Binder, interim police chief in Gilroy and former Santa Clara County undersheriff; and Brian Wynn Huynh Travis, chief of police and director of public safety for the Solano Community College District.

Whoever is chosen will lead a department in flux, overseeing about 800 employees and an operating budget of roughly $300 million.

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Their experiences span city, county, and campus policing, offering contrasting perspectives on how to lead the Sheriff’s Office through a period of change.

While sheriffs typically run for election, raising millions of dollars and campaigning for votes, Measure A — the county charter amendment passed earlier this year that allows supervisors to remove a sheriff until 2028 — also gives the board the power to appoint a replacement, avoiding a costly election.

On Thursday, supervisors selected the top three candidates out of six to advance to the next round of the appointment process.

Lazar, who received a vote from all five supervisors, retired earlier this year. A fourth-generation San Franciscan, he was “drawn into law enforcement when his mother became a 911 dispatcher in 1982.”

Lazar has a bachelor’s degree in project management from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. Although he has spent his career in San Francisco since 1991, he attended the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Academy as a teenager.

“It really inspired me as a child being raised by a single mom and not having a father in the home,” he said.

Lazar told supervisors he would focus on developing leadership from within rather than bringing in outside personnel.

“What they need is leadership that can develop, that can mentor, and that can bring up the next generation,” he said.

On his philosophy, Lazar said: “I’m an innovator and a collaborator, but I’m about ethics and honesty and transparency and about working with others.”

Binder is currently the interim police chief in Gilroy and previously served as a Santa Clara County undersheriff until retiring in 2024.

He took over briefly as Santa Clara County’s acting sheriff for about two months after former Sheriff Laurie Smith resigned in 2022 amid a civil corruption trial. Smith was accused of a “pay-to-play” scheme in which her office allegedly granted concealed carry permits to political donors and VIPs.

Binder earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University in 2017 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from San Jose State University in 2002. He described himself as a stabilizing force during a turbulent period in Santa Clara County.

“I always treated people fairly — not gunning for people, just really straight across the board with everyone,” Binder said in response to a question from Supervisor Jackie Speier. “I had a level of respect there where I was able to provide some stability to the organization. And when we had issues, I was the one who worked directly with the unions to get things accomplished and move the agency forward.”

Binder said restoring trust and stability would be his top priority in San Mateo County.

“Coming in, I’d want someone who is trustworthy, respected by the rank and file, and knows the organization inside and out so there’s no delay — we could hit the street running,” Binder said.

Travis, who along with Binder received four votes, grew up in San Mateo County but spent most of his policing career in the North Bay.

Born in Vietnam, he fled the country in 1979 as a refugee and later graduated from Hillsdale High School, according to his candidate profile.

He has a master’s degree in business administration from California Coast University and attended the FBI National Academy. He also served 26 years in the U.S. Army, including deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq.

Travis said his application represents a “chance to reset, to show our deputies that their dedication matters, to show our residents that their Sheriff’s Office is one of integrity, transparency, and care.”

Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors moved to require board and county executive approval for contracts and procurements, after Sheriff’s Office cash reserves fell to less than 0.5%. Supervisors asked Travis about his experience in fiscal management and how he would address a shortfall.

“Definitely I would work with our finance department to do a forensic study of where that money is going or where it went,” Travis said. “As far as developing a budget, I would also work with them to come up with a budget that would hopefully save us money and rebuild that surplus.”

All three finalists will participate in a public question-and-answer session at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10. As of Friday, more than 200 questions had been submitted, with the deadline set for noon. The board is expected to hold final interviews and make its selection at 9 a.m. on Nov. 12.