There should be plenty of excitement in San Bernardino County this November. Here’s a quick overview.
Rancho Cucamonga: The largest city in the more affluent West End will elect a mayor to serve a four-year term. Voters will choose between incumbent Republican Mayor Bill Alexander, a retired fire captain, and challenger Donald Kurth M.D., also a Republican and a former city councilmember. This race may turn heated, as Alexander and Kurth weren’t exactly allies when they served together. And speaking of Rancho Cucamonga’s city council, there are eight candidates vying for two seats. Incumbents Diane Williams and Rex Gutierrez (both Republicans) are being challenged by six hopefuls. This contest is shaping up to be a battle between the two incumbents and Dieter Dammeier (Dem), a former police officer and judge pro-tem who has the backing of Mayor Alexander (GOP) and City Councilmember Sam Spagnolo (GOP). Williams, Gutierrez and Dammeier lead the money race so far.
The High Desert: Here in the home base of popular Board of Supervisors Chairman and leading candidate for County Assessor Bill Postmus, the High Desert will see several spirited electoral battles with numerous Republicans seeking seats on the Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley councils. Incumbents are expected to be challenged by anti-growth activists who want to curtail development in this fast-growing area of Southern California.
Colton: One of the Inland Empire’s more colorful races may feature an incumbent candidate who was recently arrested and charged with 24 felony counts relating to unethical behavior involving the use of on official city credit card and cell phone for illicit purposes like calls to sex hotlines and stays at several motels. That is, unless Ramon Hernandez takes the advice of one at least one of his colleagues and quits. Read about it here. This could not have come at a worse time for Hernandez, a Democrat who is up for re-election and faces three viable opponents. Hernandez has had a variety of explanations in the press about the unauthorized charges on the city’s credit card bill, ranging from an out-of-control relative abusing the Visa card to a “cloned” cell phone. Councilwoman Kelly Chastain will be facing incumbent RINO Mayor Deirdre Bennett, who has frequently backed the Bacas in their elections and who last year led political rallies against Governor Schwarzenegger’s reform initiatives.
Grand Terrace: This small city (pop. 12,000) will be directly electing a mayor for the first time in its 28-year history. Councilmember Maryetta Ferre (Republican) is running against Doug Wilson, while incumbent Republican Councilmember Bea Cortes (GOP) is the front-runner for the lone council seat on the ballot.
Yucaipa: Earlier this year, Ken Smith was one of six candidates running for the GOP nod in the 65th Assembly District that was ultimately won by Yucca Valley Mayor Paul Cook. While Smith came in dead last, he had a great time running his shoestring campaign and is now running for Yucaipa City Council in a race that features incumbent GOPer Tom Masner and incumbent Green Party member Allan Drusys.
Rialto: Assemblymember Joe Baca Jr. may have lost his Democrat State Senate primary by a 3-2 margin, but he’ll still be on the ballot in November…as a candidate for the part-time Rialto City Council.
It should be worth noting that in 2004, 85 percent of San Bernardino County candidates endorsed by the County Republican Party, which is chaired by Supervisor Postmus, won their elections to local offices. Perhaps that’s why more than 65 hopefuls have applied for the Party’s formal support in this year’s cycle.
Finally, Joe Turner, a local champion of measures to combat illegal immigration and other causes, is running for one of three seats on the San Bernardino City Unified School District. Two of his opponents are Dem legislative staffer Teresa Parra and pro-illegal-immigration advocate and perennial candidate Gil Navarro.