The race for Shasta County Supervisor will once again change the balance of power on the board

Shasta County has become increasingly politically polarized in recent years, with several right-leaning supervisors commanding a three-to-two majority on the board.

This gives them the power to do things like force the county election board to issue county ballots based on unproven allegations of voter fraud. This attempt was made by a State law passed last year directly aimed at Shasta County.

Opponents of this majority say they would also have led to a “Emigration of highly qualified professionals” of county staff. A large number of high-ranking staff have left the county in recent years, including the county clerk, the director of public health and the director of resource management.

Currently, two members of the right-wing majority are still in office, and two new, more moderate board members will join in January after winning the March primary. This runoff election for the remaining district in Shasta County could decide who controls the board.

Mary Rickert, the incumbent

Mary Rickert, who lives in the small town of McArthur, has served two terms – eight years – on the board. She and her husband operate an agricultural service business and a large cattle ranch.

In a panel of five Republicans, Rickert is one of the more moderate members. She opposed many of the decisions of the far-right majority, including the attempt to hand-count the 2023 ballots.

Rickert says she actually did not want to run again, but was unable to find a replacement due to the chaos in the current board in her district.

Her opponent criticized her decision to run because of a county measure passed in March that imposed a two-term term limit on county councilors in Shasta County. However, that measure only affects future county councilors, allowing Rickert to serve two more terms.

Rickert says she supported the term limits measure, but her experience on the board is needed right now, especially with so many new administrative staff in the county. They have gone through at least five county councils since the start of 2023, and the county executive was also recently hired.

“I just felt like someone needed to be there to at least provide some guidelines and historical knowledge so that people would understand,” says Rickert. “I think this is an unusual situation. Normally this wouldn't be a problem if you had a well-functioning board that worked well together. But in the current situation it is a problem.”

Rickert says she wants to focus on issues like public safety, drug abuse and an overcrowded county jail.

“I think if we expand our mental health and substance abuse treatment services or make them more accessible to people, that will reduce our crime. That, in turn, will make us less concerned about public safety funding and also the sheriff's ability to do his job,” Rickert says.

She also hopes to bring decency and stability back to the district board.

“We are the laughing stock of the state of California. I have friends who are supervisors all over the state and they tell me how sorry they are that I have to endure everything in board meetings because of the way I'm treated,” she says.

Corkey Harmon, the fresh face

Her opponent, Corkey Harmon, is a construction contractor from Palo Cedro. He ran for supervisor in 2010 but lost the primary.

Harmon says his motivation for running is a desire to give back to the community.

“I feel like this is my chance if I want to make a difference for the next generation,” he said.

Harmon contradicts those who want to portray him as a sympathizer of the right-wing board majority and says he does not want to provoke further conflict.

“I think I've done a very good job of making sure people know I have a backbone,” Harmon says. “I stand up and make my own decisions based on what I think people need.”

Although Harmon was not endorsed by Patrick Jones, one of the outgoing members of the right-leaning board majority, he has ties to Red, White and Blueprint, a documentary series created by a group of right-leaning Shasta County residents chronicling their takeover of local government in 2022. Harmon hosted a fundraiser for Red, White and Blueprint at his ranch in 2021.

Harmon says he wants to focus on similar problems to Rickert, including crime and homelessness, and address their root causes.

“I want to go deeper into this,” he says. “I want to go in there and talk to people and find out what their concerns are.”

Because Harmon is not an elected official, he cannot say how he would position himself on the board, but he has supported some of the same priorities as the right-wing majority on the board, including hand-counting ballots and opposing state health mandates.

Harmon says he would work with both right-wing and moderate board members.

Clues from the area code

The results of the March presidential primaries offer some clues as to what might happen in November.

Mary Rickert received the most votes with around 40%. Harmon received around 32%. The remaining votes went to Win Carpenter, who was supported by members of the right-wing majority.

The crucial difference in November will be voter turnout.

Voter turnout for the March 2024 primary election was around 48% statewide. However, the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections saw turnout rates exceeding 80% of residents. That means there could be nearly twice as many voters in the general election as there were in the primary. Where those votes end up could be the deciding factor in who takes the final seat on the county board next year.

Ballots will be mailed to all California voters by October 7. They must be returned by mail, at a local mailbox or at a polling place no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.