Y-S voters head to the polls

Jun. 8—While enthusiasm around the direct primary election may be lacking in most parts of the state, Yuba and Sutter County voters had major decisions to make Tuesday for key races that could forever shape the future of both counties.

With most statewide races not garnering the amount of attention normally seen for hotly contested positions, there were several local seats that Yuba-Sutter voters had to decide on.

Sutter County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Donna Johnston said on Tuesday that while the number of voters who actually wanted to traditionally vote at the polls was rather low, turnout for ballot drop offs were encouraging.

"We have had a steady stream of people at our office dropping their ballots off. However, only a little over 400 voting at the polls," Johnston said in an email early Tuesday evening. "Therefore, no long lines — the only line at all has been in our parking lot. Voter's spirits are high. People are just preferring to get their ballots in to us personally rather than through the mail."

Even though most county candidates faced no opponent, such as Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes, the contested races for both counties garnered quite a bit of attention throughout the campaign process.

Among the races that were in the spotlight for most area voters was Sutter County Board of Supervisors District Two. Incumbent Dan Flores was facing off against Courtney Ortega, a relative newcomer to the Yuba-Sutter area and politics in general.

The race between the two was the subject of much debate and misleading claims that sought to influence local voters. Ortega focused mostly on Flores' role as Marysville's Community Development director while serving as a Sutter County supervisor and the county's purchase of the Kmart property in Yuba City.

"We need to hold our elected officials accountable for the service they provide and the tax dollars they consume. Sutter County deserves leaders who are wholeheartedly dedicated to serving Sutter County," Ortega said during a candidate forum in April. "We are troubled with an inability to properly address the growing number of homeless and transient people in our community. The county needs to prioritize public safety departments to ensure we are protected from crime. Our government needs to be ran more efficiently, rather than asking taxpayers for more money. We must be more transparent, more accessible, and more representative of the people who live here."

Flores, a longtime Yuba-Sutter resident who has been involved with several key economic development groups such as the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), put his focus mainly on his accomplishments and relationships that he has built throughout the years during his time as a supervisor.

Alluding to Ortega's outspoken activism at several county board meetings, Flores recently said, "I make a concerted effort to avoid negative drivers. On occasion, negative individuals come to the Board and vent their extremist, radical, self-serving, unfounded, and unvalidated opinions and do so with negativity. This is truly unproductive for the county and any decision making. The next step in my process is to seek advice from experts in the field. As a supervisor, one is not always an expert in all matters that come before the Board. It is also critical to listen carefully to suggestions and feedback that come from the public or anyone involved who might be impacted by the decision regarding the issue."

According to early results on Tuesday night, Flores was leading Ortega with 56.07 percent of the vote versus Ortega's 43.93 percent. As of press time Tuesday, 922 votes were counted.

Another hotly contested race was for Sutter County District Attorney. Incumbent Amanda Hopper was facing off against Jennifer Dupre, a Butte County Supervising Deputy District Attorney.

Dupre consistently attacked Hopper for her closed-door policy, a position Hopper adopted to avoid the appearance of doing special favors.

"Eight years ago, when I went through the same process, I made a promise that I would ensure that the district attorney's office in Sutter County investigated or prosecuted crimes with integrity, with justice and with an independent and unbiased view. That's what we've done," Hopper said during a candidate forum in late April. "When I took office I quickly learned that there was a good old boy's system alive and well in Sutter County. And that there were people who had political power, money, support and big names who expected direct access to the district attorney and special treatment of cases. I refused. And that quickly resulted in me closing my door to anyone who did not have a legitimate purpose at my office. I still meet with victims. I still meet with witnesses. I still meet with ... anyone who has a reason to be there. But I will not meet with people who want to come in and try and receive special treatment. And that closed door has resulted in ruffled feathers and I'm OK with that because I'm proud of what my office has done."

At the time, Dupre said she was running for district attorney because she wanted to "provide effective leadership" and "restore communication" with law enforcement partners.

"The Sutter County District Attorney's Office needs a true leader. A leader who will show up every day and actually lead the people in the office. Lead by example," Dupre said. "I will prioritize leadership, personal accountability and transparency. I have lived in Sutter County for over 17 years. I am in my 18th year as a prosecutor, providing true justice. ... I want to do that for my own community."

According to early results on Tuesday night, Dupre was leading Hopper with 59.69 percent of the vote versus Hopper's 40.31 percent. As of press time Tuesday, 6,661 votes were counted.

Other key races up for grabs on Tuesday were for Yuba County positions. They included incumbent Andy Vasquez, Eric Mallow and Kristopher Kramer for Yuba County Board of Supervisors District One; Jon Messick, Zachary Cross and Bob Bagley for Yuba County Board of Supervisors District Five; current Yuba County Clerk Donna Hillegass and Tambra Courtright for Yuba County Clerk; incumbent Francisco Reveles and Anna M. Meyerpeter-Newman for Yuba County Superintendent of Schools; and Brent Hastey and Wayne Bishop for Yuba Water Agency, South Division.

In their Yuba County races, both Vasquez and Hastey made last-minute appeals to voters highlighting the claim that Costco was coming to the Linda area thanks to their presence in the county. While both may not have had any direct involvement in the potential deal, both saw their roles in the county as being vital to its potential arrival.

Yuba County officials were unable to confirm that Costco was actually coming to the former Peach Tree Mall site when reached for comment last week.

According to early returns on Tuesday night, Vasquez was leading with 57.58 percent of the vote to Mallow's 25.68 percent and Kramer's 16.75 percent. Messick led his opponents with 66.82 percent of the vote, with Bagley getting 24.57 percent and Cross with 8.61 percent.

Messick said Tuesday night that he hoped the early returns would hold up and thanked everyone who voted for and believed in him.

"And thank you for giving me that trust," Messick said of the voters of District Five. "I just thank everybody for all their support and I hope it continues."

Once in office, Messick said he had a "whole list" of items that he wanted to address.

"District Five is such a vast district in the county. I want to get on the ad-hoc committee for North Yuba Water to help provide reliable irrigation water," Messick said. "In Hallwood, I would like to eliminate the need for a floodway permit. It's holding up building permits. What used to take two months, now takes two years and $3,000, when it used to be free."

Messick said he enjoyed the campaign process because it allowed him to meet so many people in his district.

"I have a lot of people here that I met two months ago that I consider friends now," Messick said from his election night party. "All over District Five, from the southern end to the far end of the county."

In the Yuba County Clerk race, Hillegass had a commanding lead with 74.78 percent of the vote to Courtright's 25.22 percent.

For Yuba County Superintendent of Schools, Reveles was leading with 57.96 percent of the vote to Meyerpeter-Newman's 42.04 percent.

In the Yuba Water Agency race, Bishop was leading incumbent Hastey with 62.51 percent of the vote to Hastey's 37.49 percent.

In one of two important congressional races for the Yuba-Sutter region, according to early returns in Yuba County, Democrat Max Steiner was leading Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa in the U.S. Congressional District One race. Steiner had 42.58 percent of the vote to LaMalfa's 41 percent. In Sutter County, LaMalfa was leading Steiner with 51.66 percent to Steiner's 34.46 percent.

"The returns are still early and incomplete, but it looks like LaMalfa lost the solidly Republican county of Yuba, where Republicans have an 8 percent lead in registration. Much of that likely comes from veterans voting for veterans — and LaMalfa has never served," Steiner said in an email on Tuesday night. "LaMalfa also lost the 50/50 Republican/Democrat split county of Butte by 10 percent. He can't lose like that across the district and keep his seat. It's also important to look at the strong showing from Tim Giest, a Republican who ran a race with zero money on an 'anti-Big Lie' platform. His relative success shows that there is a strong appetite for change even within the Republican Party."

In Yuba County, Giest received 10.63 percent of the vote in early returns. In Sutter County, Giest got 8.61 percent of the vote in early returns.

For the U.S. Congressional District Three race, Republican Kevin Kiley held a slight lead over Democrat Kermit Jones with 38.48 percent of the vote to Jones' 32.50 percent. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones was third with 21.96 percent of the vote.

A widely watched race in the state was for California Attorney General. With a little more than 51 percent of all California votes counted as of press time, Democrat Rob Bonta was leading all candidates with 58.1 percent of the vote. Republican candidate Nathan Hochman was second with 17.1 percent of the vote while Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was well behind with 7.7 percent.