LAKE COUNTY — With the state redistricting process complete and the new state map certified, the stage is set to gear up for this year’s elections. California is getting ready for the June 7 statewide direct primary election, with the general election to follow on Nov. 8, 2022. Voters will be able to elect federal, state, legislative and county officials at the mid-year primary. In Lake County, elections will be held for eight county offices including superintendent of schools, District 2 and 3 county supervisors, assessor-recorder, clerk-auditor, district attorney, sheriff-coroner and treasurer-tax collector. Voters at the primary also can nominate candidates for the state offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and District 2, Board of Equalization member, State Senate District 2, State Assembly District 4 and Superintendent of Public Instruction; and on the federal level, U.S. Representative District 2, and U.S. Senator. All the offices mentioned have a four-year term, except for the U.S. Senate seat, which has a six-year term and the U.S. Representative and State Assembly seats, both of which have two-year terms.
A candidate for any of the county offices up for election has the option of submitting an “in-lieu-of-filing fee petition” by February 9 to offset all or part of the cost of the filing fee. The petition would need to have the required number of signatures of registered voters in the jurisdiction where the candidate intends to seek nomination. Candidates for District 2 county supervisor need 225 signatures on the petition and candidates for District 3 county supervisor need 278 signatures. Otherwise, candidates for either supervisorial district would pay a filing fee of $637.08.
All other county offices require 1,786 signatures on a petition. Without a petition, non-incumbent candidates for county superintendent of schools would pay a filing fee of $1,857.68 and the incumbent would pay $1,955.45. Other filing fees are $1,347 for sheriff-coroner and district attorney, $1,256.28 for assessor-recorder, $1,456.80 for county clerk-auditor, and $1,026.72 for treasurer-tax collector.
Petitions for all countywide offices are available at the county Registrar of Voters office in the County Courthouse in Lakeport, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and are due at close of business on February 9. All candidates running for a county office have between February 14 to March 11 to file a declaration of candidacy form and nomination papers in order to be listed on the June ballot.
County incumbents were asked if they would be seeking re-election. District Attorney Susan Krones, Sheriff Brian Martin, County Clerk-Auditor Cathy Saderlund and Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford plan to run for re-election using the in-lieu of filing fee petition. District 3 County Supervisor Eddie Crandell also will run again but did not specify his filing option. District 2 County Supervisor Bruno Sabatier had no comment and both Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen did not respond by press time.
A number of the candidates shared their reasons for seeking re-election. Krones said she’s running for D.A. again because she’s been a prosecutor in the county for 27 years and “there’s so much more to accomplish in the coming year…Given the ongoing changes in the criminal justice system, it is important to have an experienced prosecutor at the helm…my experience as a prosecutor is so important because not only can I handle my duties as the head of the District Attorney’s Office, but I can also handle jury trials.”
Martin said serving the people of Lake County as sheriff-coroner in the last seven years has been challenging and more rewarding than he could imagine. “There are some things I’d like to see accomplished in the next term. The most prominent tangible goal is the completion of transfer, renovation and occupation of the current armory as the sheriff’s new administrative office. We will also focus on continuing to improve how we serve our communities and adapt to ever-changing expectation.”
Ford is running for assessor-recorder again “to continue with the progress we have already achieved. We have much more to accomplish, namely e-recording, implementing a new recording system, additional modules in the property tax system to increase efficiency and the further training of staff.”
Residents who want more information about filing for any of the county offices up for election this year, may contact the Registrar of Voters office in person at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N Forbes St, Room 209, Lakeport or by phone at (707) 263-2372.
