Supervisors, clerk-recorder and more: Who’s running for election in SLO County this June?
Voting is likely to be a bit more complicated this year, as a number of redrawn districts prompt confusion and make officials’ work considerably more difficult.
So what seats are up for election this year?
Following the end of the nomination period in which people could toss their hats in the ring, the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office has posted the official list of candidates who will appear on the primary election ballot June 7.
According to County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano, none of the county races had extended deadlines — as can be the case if no incumbent files for reelection — so this is the full list of local offices on the ballot.
The California Secretary of State will release the slate of candidates for federal and state offices on March 31, Cano said. Those include Congress and the state Senate and Assembly, all of which have had their maps redrawn for this year, changing SLO County’s districts.
Re-drawn supervisor districts could confuse voters in primary
The rejiggered supervisor districts are by far the most complicated races in the county.
Four-year supervisor terms for the newly redrawn District 2 and District 4, as well as a partial-term seat representing District 3, will be on the primary ballot and, depending on the results, on the general election ballot in November.
First the least complicated, which also happens to be the largest field of contenders: District 2.
Five candidates are running to represent the new District 2, which includes much of the North Coast and then inland to parts of the North County, including Atascadero and San Miguel. Those are incumbent Bruce Gibson of Cayucos; Geoffrey Auslen, a small-business owner from Atascadero; Bruce Jones, a retired physician from Templeton; John Whitworth, a small business owner from Atascadero; and Michael Erin Woody, a Morro Bay engineer.
In the new District 4 — which includes much of the South County stretching east toward the Carrizo Plain — current Supervisor Lynn Compton is expected to once again face off against Jimmy Paulding, who in 2020 came within 60 votes of defeating her for the seat.
Cano said the election will be especially challenging for some voters in the new District 4, because many were previously a part of District 3, which has its own unique set of circumstances during this election.
Due to the early-term death of former Supervisor Adam Hill and the governor’s appointment of current Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, District 3 will have a special election to fill a partial, two-year term on the Board of Supervisors during the June primary.
Thanks to recent judicial decisions, the District 3 primary election is using the old boundaries, while District 4 is using the new — meaning some residents in the transition zone will actually vote for two supervisors on the ballot.
“Educating the voters on that one is going to be critical,” Cano said.
In District 3, Ortiz-Legg is running for election against: Stacy Korsgaden, an insurance/financial advisor who owns a small business and who almost defeated Hill in 2020; and Arnold Ruiz of San Luis Obispo, who is retired.
Cano explained that those who are confused about what district they may be in can visit the county’s redistricting page on its website, and view the “final map” approved by the Board of Supervisors in December.
On that map, she said, the pink lines and numbers illustrate the new districts, while the black lines and numbers identify the old districts.
Those with questions can also contact the county’s Elections Office at 805-781-5080.
What other offices are up for election in June?
Meanwhile, Cano’s post is also one of the other contested races on the primary ballot, with James Baugh, a military consultant from Paso Robles, and Stewart “Stew” Jenkins, an election-law lawyer from San Luis Obispo, running against her.
Morro Bay will also hold an election for a City Council member during the primary, with that person’s term scheduled to end in December 2024. Candidates are James Costanzo and Jen Ford.
Finally, one San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge seat has multiple contenders: Deputy District Attorney Mike Frye and San Luis Obispo attorney Paul Philips are competing for the Office 12 seat vacated by retiring judge Linda Hurst.
All the other candidates for SLO County offices are running unopposed, including: Assessor Tom Bordonaro; Superintendent of Schools James Brescia; District Attorney Dan Dow; Sheriff-Coroner Ian Parkinson; San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Gayle Peron; and Erin Childs, who is running for the Office 10 Superior Court judge seat.
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
