The first voting of 2024 is over as some candidates celebrate while others hold their breath in close races. Mendocino County Board of Elections reports Madeline Cline and Adam Gaska got the most votes for the Board of Supervisors in a four-way race representing the first district, while Ted Williams, Michael Greer, and Rusty Hicks got the most votes in the state assembly race. Both propositions passed. Turnout…just 14 percent with all 241 precincts reporting and ballots still out. The county website has the numbers so far.
In Lake County, LakeCoNews. Com reports Jessica Pyska got the most votes for supervisor in District 5. In District 4, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen appears to have enough votes to stay over the 50% threshold among four candidates for that supervisor’s seat. It’s almost a dead heat with absentee ballots still out in the race between John Hess and Helen Owen in the first district. The vote for a 35 million dollar bond issue in the Kelseyville Unified School is tight with the “no” votes holding a slim lead. Turnout in Lake County was a tick under 20 percent with ballots still in the mail
None of the results in either county are official. There are still outstanding ballots in the mail. Once they’re in by next week’s deadline, the counties will issue a final count and certify the results. They have until April 4th to do that. Then, the planning begins for the general election, less than 8 months away on November 5th.
The statewide results show Congressman Adam Schiff and former LA Dodger Steve Garvey moving on to November in both Senate primaries. Of course, there was no surprise in the presidential party primaries. President Biden got the backing of 93 percent of Democratic voters in Mendocino County. About three-quarters of Mendocino Republican voters checked the box for former President Trump and around 20 percent supported Nikkii Haley. In addition to the R’s and D’s four other parties will field candidates in the fall in California
Lake County has a new poet Laureate. The Lake County Board of Supervisors has picked Brenda Yager as the 12th honoree. Her role as Poet Laureate is to represent and promote poetry and literacy in the community during her two-year term—a selection committee of 6 poets who have previously held the position. Yeager’s poems have won several prizes and her work has been published both online and in print. She says she is looking forward to sharing her love for poems with the entire community to show how words can enrich lives. Yeager will be officiated by the Lake County Board of Supervisors on April 2nd, with in-person and virtual inauguration celebrations around that date as well.
