Election season is here: June 2 ballots mailed this week
Napa County voters are expected to receive their June 2 primary election ballots in their mail box this week.
The 85,500 ballots were sent to local U.S. Post Offices on Monday, Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said on Tuesday.
Voters need to contact his office if they do not receive a ballot by May 11, Tuteur said. Napa County Election Division is at 1125 3rd St. in Napa.
The June 2 election will determine who will be on the November ballot in dozens of statewide races.
The two top-vote getters in the gubernatorial race will make the ballot in their efforts to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.
More than 60 people are candidates for governor, including eight who took part in Tuesday’s national CNN debate: two Republicans, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff; and five Democrats, Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; Katie Porter, a former U.S. representative; Tom Steyer, a businessman; Xavier Becerra, a former Human Services secretary under President Biden and Matt Mahan, San Jose’s mayor.
Former front-runner Eric Swalwell remains on the ballot even though he dropped out of the race in April and resigned from U.S. Congress after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
The June 2 election will also determine who will be on the November ballot to shape the next U.S. Representatives.
The two top vote-getters in June in the race for U.S. Representative in District 4 will vie for a two-year term in November to represent Napa County.
Incumbent, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, 75, who was first elected to Congress in 1998, is facing a Democratic challenger in Eric Jones, 35, a businessman based in Yountville. Republican candidates include Ray Riehle, Sharon Brown, Jimih Jones, Mandy Ghusar, Chuck Uribe and John Mackenzie. Thomas Roach is running as an independent.
Thompson’s endorsements include all five Napa County supervisors and all five mayors – Calistoga Mayor Donald Williams; Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley; St. Helena Mayor Paul Dohring; Yountville Mayor Margie Mohler and American Canon Mayor Pierre Washington. Leon Garcia, American Canyon’s former mayor, has also endorsed Thompson.
American Canyon Vice Mayor Mark Joseph endorsed Thompson, noting his work in obtaining a ZIP code for American Canyon to obtaining federal funding for American Canyon’s Napa River Ecology Center.
Thompson has raised about $2.9 million and spent $1.6 million as of March 31, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Jones, 35, has raised more than $3.2 million, including $364,000 of his own money, and spent about $1.8 million. His endorsements include Our Revolution, a movement founded by Bernie Sanders.
Jones said in his campaign statement he was running for congress to “put working families first.”
A Yale graduate, Jones said he was the first member of his family to graduate from college.
“We need new leadership in Washington that knows how to fight – and that focuses on affordability and results,” Jones said. “I’ll reject the corrupt system, say no to money from corporate PACs and lobbyists, and never trade stocks in Congress.
He said he wants to fight for “working families, for affordable childcare, and for Medicare to cover vision, dental, hearing aids, and in-home nursing.”
He also wants to defend veterans’ benefits and take on PG&E.
Thompson supported Proposition 50, the redistricting measure voters passed in November to create five Democratic-leaning congressional districts. That included District 4, which includes Napa. Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for Proposition 50 after Texas created five new Republican-leaning congressional districts at the request of the Trump administration. The California’s new Congressional map is temporary. It is valid through the 2030 elections.
The June 2 primary is anticipated to result in the re-election of three Napa County officials who are running unopposed — two Napa County supervisors and the Napa County Superintendent of Schools.
The two supervisors are Anne Cottrell, of St. Helena in District 3 and Joelle Gallagher, of Napa, in District 1, are running for re-election for the first time. The two supervisors, who are former Napa County planning commissioners, and their three colleagues, supervisors Liz Alessio, Amber Manfree and Belia Ramos, make up the county’s first all-female board of supervisors.
Cottrell’s third district includes Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Angwin, Pope Valley, Lake Berryessa and the northern edge of the city of Napa.
Gallagher’s district includes most of downtown Napa as well as Carneros, Milton Road, as well as Laurel Street and the Terrace neighborhood east of the Silverado Trail.
Both Cottrell and Gallagher will be sworn on Jan. 4.
Also running unopposed in June Napa County Superintendent of Schools Joshua Schultz.
The Napa County Office of Education reviews Napa County’s five school districts’ budgets. Other responsibilities include supporting pre- and after-school programs, foster and homeless youth education services and special education programs.
The Napa County Board of Education in July appointed Schultz superintendent of schools to complete retiring Barbara Nemko’s term.
Nemko retired last July 31 after serving 28 years as superintendent. She joined the Napa County Office of Education in 1991 as director of curriculum.
A former social studies, economics and U.S. History teacher at St. Helena High School, Schultz has worked for the Napa County Superintendent of Schools since 2008 in various positions.
Schultz on Tuesday said the board was looking for continuity when they appointed him superintendent.
If elected, Schultz is also expected to be sworn in Jan. 4. Until then, Schultz, Cottrell and Gallagher continue their work as superintendent and supervisors.
In all statewide races, the two top-vote getters in the June 2 primary election will make the November ballot, including Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, who is running so far unopposed in the state assembly race.
Vote Centers are also slated to open later in May in Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa and American Canyon. For information, check https://www.napacounty.gov/2354/Vote-Center-Locations
Calistoga’s polling center will be at The Calistoga Community Center, where the City Council also meets. To accommodate the election, the Calistoga City Council will meet on Wednesday, June 3, instead of Tuesday, June 2, said Calistoga Deputy City Manager Rachel Stepp.
