Inside Elk Grove Politics: Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen’s Growing Influence Over Local Elections

New York had its Tammany Hall; the late Chicago Mayor Richard Daley built the powerful Chicago Machine; and, for the last decade, perhaps the most powerful political machine in the last 100 years, MAGA, was built by Donald Trump.

In Elk Grove's 25 years as a city, former Mayor Gary Davis worked hard to build a machine. That machine collapsed amid Davis's still-mysterious decision not to run for a third term in 2016.  

Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Into this void stepped Bobbie Singh-Allen, who has built a growing machine in Elk Grove politics and elections.

Aside from purging all the commissions, most notably the Planning Commissioners, of people appointed by past mayors in short order after beating incumbent Mayor Steve Ly in 2020, Singh-Allen started building her local machine.

In 2022, Singh-Allen was instrumental in getting Elk Grove City Councilmen Rod Brewer and Sergio Robles elected. With three steadfast city council allies (Brewer, Robles, and Darren Suen) and every person on the city's various committees and commissions appointed by her, she has expanded her reach.

In 2022, Singh-Allen was key to Michael Vargas' election to the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Trustees. She also provided critical support to Jennifer Ballerini and Susan Davis in 2024.

Singh-Allen, who served on the EGUSD Trustees' board for eight years before becoming Mayor, has had at least one defeat. In a 2024 three-way race for a seat on the Rancho Cordova area portion of the EGUSD district, Heidi Moore prevailed over Singh-Allen's preferred candidate.

With four of the five positions on the Elk Grove City Council under her control - Singh-Allen doesn't appear to be prevailing on Councilman Kevin Spease in the same manner - she is again setting her sights on the EGUSD board.

In a paid advertisement from Singh-Allen (see below), the Mayor has announced her endorsement of Varinder Singh for the EGUSD board. Mr. Singh is running for the Area 5 seat currently occupied by Beth Albaini, who is not seeking another term.

Aside from the very early paid advertisement from the Mayor, the endorsement of Mr. Singh is noteworthy. He was appointed to the Elk Grove Planning Commission by Ms. Singh-Allen.

Clearly, the Mayor is using her growing power and influence over city commissions and committees to groom a bevy of loyalists. Aside from her three loyal city councilmen, city hall employees like assistant city manager Jacqui Guzman, who openly socializes and attends political events with the mayor, Singh-Allen is making more inroads with the EGUSD board.

Ironically, one candidate challenging EGUSD Trustee Michael Vargas, Kirk Thomson, appealed to the Mayor at a city council meeting to use her influence with the school board. Not surprisingly, Singh-Allen has repeatedly denied having any influence over the school board (see video below).

As local elections approach next fall, it will be noteworthy to see whether the Mayor will use her influence in other races. Aside from an almost guaranteed reelection for herself, Brewer and Robles, if Singh-Allen continues her influence over the composition of the EGUSD board, she will have enshrined herself in Elk Grove politics as the boss of the city's first political machine.  

In the end, every political era produces its own machine. Elk Grove may not have Tammany Hall or the Chicago Machine, but it is clearly building a modern version of the same playbook.

Through strategic appointments, carefully placed endorsements, and a deepening bench of loyalists, Singh-Allen has constructed a system that rewards alignment and sidelines dissent. It is efficient, disciplined, and increasingly difficult to penetrate from the outside.

Like any well-run operation, it doesn't need to shout—it simply stamps, approves, and moves forward. Around Elk Grove, a fitting name is already taking shape: Bobbie’s Rubber Stamp.