California political candidate facing six years in prison after listing dive bar as home address

A woman who listed her home address as a local bar while running for Stockton City Council has dropped out of the race after she was arrested on multiple felony charges.

Desiree Lynch, who was running for the District 5 seat, withdrew from the race Monday, effective immediately, according to her attorney, Allen Sawyer, KCRA News 3 reported.

“Today Ms. Lynch resigned and withdrew from the race effective immediately,” Sawyer said in a statement. “In light of the legal process she is facing, there will be no other comment on this matter. Ms. Lynch is focused on taking care of her daughter and will devote 100% of her attention to her family responsibilities.”

Lynch was arrested last week on five felony charges, including three counts of perjury, causing or allowing false voter registration and filing a false nomination or declaration of candidacy.

The charges stem from allegations that Lynch claimed to live in District 5, despite actually residing outside its boundaries.

Candidates seeking a seat on the Stockton City Council are required to live in the district they hope to represent. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said its investigation determined Lynch was instead residing in Lodi and North Stockton, including an area within District 1.

Prosecutors allege Lynch used two addresses — one belonging to Harry’s Cocktail Lounge on East Charter Way and another at the Doyle Garden Apartments on East Oak Street — to falsely establish residency in District 5.

Lynch, a mother and nurse, had campaigned on promises to bring “real solutions for working families” and clean up both City Hall and Stockton’s streets.

“Stockton residents are frustrated, angry, and heartbroken by what’s happening in our city. Infighting at City Hall, neglect of our neighborhoods, and rising crime have left too many people questioning whether our leaders are truly listening,” her campaign website said.

Before her arrest, Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi’s office had called on Lynch to suspend her campaign amid questions surrounding her residency. Lynch initially refused.

“If questions were serious enough to raise concerns about the integrity of the process before today, they remain serious enough to answer tomorrow,” Fugazi said in a statement.

Following Lynch’s arrest, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office accused her of attempting to cheat the system by manufacturing a false address.

“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. “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 was booked into jail on $100,000 bail following her arrest.

She is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 2 and faces a maximum sentence of six years and eight months in state prison if convicted.