Written by Sebastian Acosta
Ryan Keim won his race for Oceanside City Council, running as the endorsed candidate of the San Diego County Republican Party, whose staff and volunteers worked tirelessly and helped him attain his victory. Keim won by just over 2% of the vote, so it is undoubtable that the support of the party was crucial to his victory. Ryan was first appointed to the position in 2019 and faced off against several challengers in this year’s election, the most popular being Shari Mackin.
The forefront of his campaign was the issue of public safety, to which Keim has dedicated a great portion of his life. He served on the Police and Fire Commission in 2004 and then joined the Oceanside Police Department in 2006, where he worked in the Neighborhood Policing Team and the Gang Suppression Unit.
An on-duty injury forced him into early retirement, but he wasn’t done serving his community. Keim became the Public Information Officer for OPD before joining the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department as the Public Affairs Director and primary spokesperson.
Upon becoming an Oceanside Councilmember in 2019, Keim led efforts to reduce crime, balance budgets, and increase transparency among the community and government. He brought forward a term limit, the first-ever ordinance for short-term rentals, and a second Homeless Outreach Team.
More recently, Ryan worked to implement policies that aggressively addressed the ongoing health crisis while simultaneously working with small businesses to develop community solutions. This led to the creation of the Economic Recovery Task Force as well as a program working with local restaurants and O’side Kitchen Collaborative to feed families heavily affected by the pandemic.
That cooperation underscores Keim’s intent on working with and giving support to small businesses. He holds the firm belief that the government should serve to assist rather than push away businesses so that they may thrive in these trying times. He has spent much of his time as a council member talking to owners and learning what changes are needed to provide that support.
Keim will continue to work as dutifully under the title of Councilmember as he did as a police officer. Residents can expect the enhancement of public safety, strengthening of community relations, and an increase of local economic opportunities.
