Live updates: Riverside County Sheriff Bianco fends off challenger; DA Hestrin could avoid run off
Residents of Coachella Valley went to the polls Tuesday to vote in some hot contests that have seen plenty of headlines over the past few months — including the Riverside County District Attorney race that has DA Mike Hestrin defending his seat against habeas attorney Lara Gressley and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Burke Strunsky, and a Auditor/Controller race that included a last-minute grand jury report.
Latest results: Track results for local, state and federal races.
Riverside County DA race: Hestrin appears to have enough votes for outright victory in bid for new term
Riverside County Sheriff race: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco successfully fends off Michael Lujan in bid for second term
Riverside County Auditor-Controller race: Angulo in tight race with challenger Benoit
Check back here for election results, reactions and analysis of the California Primary elections in Riverside County and the Coachella Valley.
County Supervisor Hewitt, Gutierrez bound for runoff in November
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt was bound for a runoff election in November, facing Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez, who held a razor-thin lead in the ballot tally Wednesday, though far shy of the 50% threshold needed to secure victory.
Returns showed Gutierrez receiving 33.38% of votes counted, compared to 33.06% for Hewitt in the Fifth Supervisorial District race.
According to the Office of the Registrar of Voters, more than 150,000 absentee and provisional ballots remain to be tallied countywide. The vote tabulation could stretch to the end of the week.
The two other challengers in the Fifth District race, Beaumont Mayor Lloyd White and attorney Denianonette Mazingo, were trailing well behind Hewitt and Gutierrez.
Hewitt was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2018 following a stint as mayor of Calimesa.
The incumbent, a Libertarian who is also serving as chair of the board until the end of the year, said in a campaign statement that “the trials I’ve faced while leading this county have shaped me forever. In times of uncertainty, you can always depend on me to lead from the front.”
Hewitt, who was among candidates for governor in the recall election last September, was an outspoken opponent of the coronavirus public health lockdowns, and after hearing from impacted residents and business owners about the hardships created by the mandates, he was the lone voice in favor of the county outright rejecting them.
However, he later modified his position and instead advocated for a piecemeal approach to removing the county from the state’s controlling measures, resulting in a proposal in September 2020 for the county to establish an independent “Reopening Plan.” Under that concept, the county’s Executive Office would have established criteria different from the governor’s color- coded tier system then in place — all aimed at expediting a return to normal commerce.
The plan was tentatively adopted, but in a significantly watered-down form that Hewitt opposed and resulted in virtually no change from the status quo.
“Every day, I have pushed to elevate our county,” the supervisor said. “I do this to leave a better county for our grandchildren.”
Gutierrez, a favorite of the county’s Democratic Party, cited his work on homeless reduction programs, municipal beautification and supporting job creation as accomplishments since he was first elected Moreno Valley’s mayor in 2016.
“I’m running for supervisor to serve as the honest, ethical and effective leader Riverside County needs,” he said in a campaign statement. “I’ll listen to residents and work every day to improve and protect our quality of life.”
His objectives include improving 911 response times, expanding health care opportunities, advancing youth programs and ensuring safe drinking water.
In the county’s Fourth District, Supervisor Manuel Perez ran without opposition in the primary, as did Supervisor Karen Spiegel in the county’s Second District.
— City News Service
Riverside County DA race tight as ballots continue to be counted
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin had a lead with a majority of votes Wednesday morning, which could carry him to a primary victory if the margins remain the same as mail-in and provisional ballots are totaled.
Hestrin garnered about 53% of votes, about 50,000 more than his two competitors who are virtually tied for second place.
Attorney Lara Gressley had about 24% of votes and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Burke Strunsky about 23% — with a difference of about 300 votes between them.
Gressley thanked her supporters Wednesday morning, adding: "Looking ahead, I am confident change will happen as long as we continue to speak the truth. I will never stop doing that."
Some 150,000 ballots remain to be counted Wednesday, according to the Registrar of Voters.
— Christopher Damien
Riverside County Sheriff Bianco holds big lead Wednesday
Sheriff Chad Bianco appeared poised to win a second term as Wednesday morning's vote count showed he had a 30,000-vote lead against his challenger, former Sheriff's Capt. Michael Lujan.
Bianco won about 58% of the vote, and Lujan 42%. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters announced early Wednesday that some 150,000 ballots were still being counted, and expected to update the counts by Wednesday evening.
Bianco posted to his Facebook page that, in part, the results represented a "victory for Riverside County Residents."
"I look forward to leading this department for the next four years, creating a safer Riverside County," Bianco wrote. "We will continue in our goal to make Riverside County the safest place in the nation. I will also stand steadfast in protection of your Constitutional and God given rights and freedoms."
Neither Bianco more Lujan returned requests for comments on election results Wednesday morning.
— Christopher Damien
First-term Riverside County supervisor Jeff Hewitt in tight battle
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt found himself in a tight battle on Tuesday in his bid for reelection, with early returns putting him in second place in the four-person contest behind Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez.
Gutierrez had a roughly 300-vote lead over Hewitt in the race as returns trickled in, with both likely heading for the November runoff. Gutierrez held 34% of the vote, compared to Hewitt’s 33%.
Hewitt is seeking a second term on the board, to which he was first elected in 2018, after a stint as mayor of Calimesa.
Also in the race were Beaumont Mayor Lloyd White and attorney Denianonette Mazingo.
The incumbent, who is also serving as chair of the board until the end of the year, said in a campaign statement that “the trials I’ve faced while leading this county have shaped me forever. In times of uncertainty, you can always depend on me to lead from the front.”
In the county’s Fourth District, Supervisor Manuel Perez ran without opposition in the primary, as did Supervisor Karen Spiegel in the county’s Second District.
Incumbents, party-backed candidates lead in race for Coachella Valley seats
Initial results for legislative and congressional races in the Coachella Valley show incumbents and party-endorsed candidates with the advantage as they seek to advance to a head-to-head matchup in the November general election.
The initial results, posted by the California Secretary of State’s office shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m., show incumbents in the lead for several seats in the Coachella Valley.
Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat who has represented the Coachella Valley since 2013, has a considerable lead over the six Republicans vying to advance to the general election in the 25th Congressional District, which includes Indio, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. With 8.1% of precincts reporting, Ruiz had 24,221 votes, or 63.2%.
San Jacinto city councilmember Brian Hawkins, who was endorsed by the California GOP, is in a distant second place so far, with 5,707 votes, or 14.9%. Brian Tyson, an El Centro physician, is close behind in third, with 3,451 votes, or 9%, while retired farmer James Gibson was in fourth, with 2,429 votes, or 6.3%.
In California’s 41st Congressional District, which includes Palm Springs, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells, incumbent GOP Rep. Ken Calvert is leading the five candidates, with 25,407 votes — or 39.6% — with 17.6% of precincts reporting.
Democrat Will Rollins, who has won the endorsement of several members of Congress, including Ruiz, is narrowly trailing Calvert in second place, with 25,110 votes, or 39.2%.
The only other Democrat on the ballot — Shrina Kurani — currently sits in third, with 9,943 votes, or 15.5%, while Republican John Michael Lucio and no party preference candidate Anna Nevenic are well behind, each garnering fewer than 3,000 votes so far.
In Assembly District 36, which includes Coachella and Indio, along with Imperial County, incumbent Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, has a lead over his two challengers. With 9.3% of precincts reporting, Garcia had 9,114 votes, or 50.4%.
Republican Ian Weeks, who was endorsed by the state party, appears on track to face Garcia in the general election, as he has gained 7,243 votes, or 40.1%, putting him well ahead of Democrat Marlon Ware, who had 9.5% of the vote.
With 9.3% of precincts reporting, the race in Assembly District 47 has so far seen two candidates — Democrat Christy Holstege, a Palm Springs city councilmember, and Republican Greg Wallis, the district director for Assemblymember Chad Mayes, I-Rancho Mirage — emerge as the top contenders in the contest.
Holstege, who has built a lengthy list of endorsements from elected officials and statewide organizations since entering the race, has a considerable lead over the other three candidates, with 55.4% of the vote.
Wallis, who entered the race after Mayes decided not to seek re-election, is in second place, with 12,139 votes, or 26.3% of votes cast. Both candidates are well ahead of Republican Gary Michaels, who has 9.9% of the vote, and Democrat Jamie Swain, who had 8.3% of the vote.
The race for Senate District 18, which includes Indio, Coachella and most of eastern Riverside County, has only two candidates, meaning both will advance to the general election. With 2% of precincts reporting, Democrat Steve Padilla has gained 63.9% of the vote, while Republican Alejandro Galicia trails with 36.1% of the vote.
— Tom Coulter
Riverside County DA Hestrin joins supporters at results watch party
About 50 supporters of Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin gathered at a private residence in Corona Tuesday eagerly awaiting the closing of the polls at 8 p.m. and for results to be released.
His supporters shared barbecue and drinks, as Hestrin and his campaign's leadership spoke with those gathered about what motivated them to vote, and traded guesses about when the first round of vote counts would be released.
Diners bubbled with optimism as they expressed their confidence that the incumbent would be elected to a third term.
The incumbent is defending his job from challengers Riverside County Superior Court Judge Burke Strunsky and habeas attorney Lara Gressley.
But there concern was also concerned chatter about the low voter turnout in Riverside County and across California.
— Christopher Damien
Ballot drop-off locations in Coachella Valley, Palm Desert
Here is a full list of the Coachella Valley’s ballot drop-off locations for the June 7 California Primary.
Cathedral City Library* 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234
City of Cathedral City** 68700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA 92234
City of Coachella** 53462 Enterprise Way, Coachella, CA 92236
Coachella Community Center* 51251 Douma St., Coachella, CA 92236
City of Desert Hot Springs** 11999 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Desert Hot Springs Senior Center* 11777 West Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
City of Indian Wells** 44950 Eldorado Drive, Indian Wells, CA 92210
City of Indio** 100 Civic Center Mall, Indio, CA 92201
Indio Community Center* 45871 Clinton St., Indio, CA
La Quinta City Hall** 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA 92253
Trilogy at La Quinta* 60750 Trilogy Parkway, La Quinta, CA 92253
Mecca County Library* 91260 Sixty Sixth Ave., Mecca, CA 92254
City of Palm Desert** 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Palm Desert Library* 73300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260
The Shops at Palm Desert* 72840 Highway 111. Palm Desert, CA 92260
City of Palm Springs** 3200 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center* 480 W Tramview, Palm Springs, CA 92262
City of Rancho Mirage** 69825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
The River* 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Coachella Valley Animal Campus* 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, CA 92276
*Open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
**Open during regular city business hours; and Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Low voter turnout in Riverside County, California
The Riverside County Registrar of Voters reported that as of Tuesday, a total of 1,304,447 vote-by-mail ballots have been issued and 195,336 ballots have been returned, or about 15%.
The turnout seen in Riverside County has been fairly close to the statewide rate: 15% of the roughly 22 million ballots sent to California voters had been returned as of Monday, according to an analysis from Political Data Inc.
The statewide analysis shows registered Democrats have returned roughly 1.69 million ballots, while Republican voters have cast about 837,000 votes in the primary election, which got underway with early voting May 9.
Riverside County DA's race generates headlines
Incumbent Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin is defending his job from Riverside County Superior Court Judge Burke Strunsky and habeas attorney Lara Gressley in the June 7 election.
His challengers have traded barbs with him over a ballooning department budget, number of case resolutions and the practicality of pursuing the death penalty when the state has stopped carrying out executions.
The race has had several flashpoints. Questions were raised about SAFE Family Justice Center, a non-profit housed in the DA's Office, and its management of a donation intended to help the Turpin siblings after their rescue from years of abuse.
The Desert Sun reported that the DA's Office has been plagued by missing case information and data related to demographics in light of a recent law change requiring such data to be made available when requested in criminal cases.
And, most recently, a case in which a man accused of a domestic violence assault negotiated a plea deal and is accused of killing his child months later. A prosecutor from the DA's office wrote a scathing brief in the case claiming Strunsky, the judge who oversaw the plea, should have sentenced him to jail. Strunsky disputed the claim and characterized it as "political warfare" intended to incorrectly brand him as soft on crime.
— Christopher Damien
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: June 7 primary election: Live updates from top Riverside County races
