LAKE COUNTY >> The Lake County Democratic Party voted to endorse four local candidates in the June 7 California primary at its April 7 business meeting.
Susan Krones (District Attorney), Hannah Lee (Assessor/Recorder), Patrick Sullivan (Treasurer/Tax Collector) and Charise Reynolds (Middletown Unified School Board, Special Election) received the Democratic Party’s endorsement.
Susan Krones
When Susan Krones ran for District Attorney in 2019, she already had a wealth of trial experience and institutional knowledge, having served as a Lake County Deputy District Attorney from 1992-2018. Before that, she served as a Captain in the U.S. Army in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Krones has lived in Lake County for 29 years, served as a prosecutor for those 29 years and has participated in more than 100 jury trials.
Under her leadership, the DA office has worked vigorously to prosecute serious and violent crimes. At the same time, she has worked with courts and federal and state agencies to help low level offenders get the help they need for drug addiction and mental health issues. Her office supports veterans through a veteran’s court program and participates with courts with drug and mental health diversion programs.
The Lake County Democratic Party also endorsed Krones in 2019.
Hannah Lee
Hannah Lee has lived in Lake County for 17 years, has been a local business owner and has many years of experience working with the County of Lake as a social worker, deputy public guardian and administrator. She is running for Assessor-Recorder to improve services, communication and transparency.
Lee’s priorities if elected are to advance communications about legislative and other changes that impact personal finances and property values, to maintain an open-door policy to the public, decrease backlogs that impact revenue streams to the County, to fairly assess property values, and to modernize the office for efficiency and effectiveness.
Patrick Sullivan
Licensed attorney Patrick Sullivan has served as Lake County Tax Administrator for three years. Before that he worked in the Mendocino County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s department for seven years. During his time in Lake County Sullivan has worked in close collaboration with the Board of Supervisors in the Administrative Office as a liaison to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office on a variety of revenue programs, including the cannabis tax program, transient occupancy tax, sales tax and developing an investment management program for Lake County’s treasury pool.
If elected, Sullivan looks forward to utilizing his deep knowledge of Lake County’s highest priorities to strengthen Lake County’s financial resources to improve the quality of life for all County residents. His goals are to modernize processes in the Treasurer- ax Collector’s office, build and retain an experienced team, prioritize tax default sales and further and complete projects he is already working on to build capacity and resiliency for the future.
Charise Reynolds
Reynolds has lived in her district 20 years and has been volunteering in her school district for 19 years. Nearly two decades working within the Lake County Department of Social Services gives her a broad range of management and leadership experience. She seeks to bring healing and sound fiscal leadership to a district that has seen much turmoil in recent years.
If elected, Reynolds seeks to focus decision making on the needs of the children and the district. As a board member, she will work to foster caring, excellence, communication and participation. Her goal is to move the district forward with focus on the budget, bonds, supporting teachers and ensuring a positive and constructive learning environment for students while engaging the community.
“Now is a critical time for local office holders to guide the nation toward policies of fairness, tolerance and better economic and educational opportunities for all of us,” Lake County Democratic Central Committee chair Deb Baumann said.
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee serves as the official representative and governing body of the California Democratic Party in Lake County, carrying out such duties as are consistent with the elections code of the State of California and the bylaws and policies of the California Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee.
