A look at who is running for election in North County

From Paso Robles to Atascadero, the candidate roster is full for this Nov. 5 election

Update (Monday, Aug. 19 7:30 p.m.): After Atascadero News went to print with last week’s issue, we were informed by the City of Atascadero that a third candidate is running for City Council. Tori Keen was added as a third candidate running for Atascadero City Council alongside Seth Peek and Mark Dariz. City of Atascadero election details can be found here atascadero.org/2024-general-election

Original Story:

NORTH COUNTY — The initial period to file as a candidate for the Nov. 5 election closed on Friday, Aug. 9. As a result, some local incumbents have not qualified to move forward through the election period. Here is an update for candidates running local elections from Paso Robles to Atascadero.

Atascadero

In Atascadero, residents will vote for a new mayor after Heather Moreno won the District 5 San Luis Obispo County Supervisor seat, replacing Debbie Arnold, who did not seek another term on the county board. In addition, City Councilmembers Charles Bourbeau and Mark Dariz both have terms ending this year.

Bourbeau announced his campaign for Atascadero City Mayor in April and no one filed to run against him for the seat.

For the remaining two at-large seats on City Council, Seth Peek and Dariz are the only candidates running, making the new City Council essentially a done deal — meaning Peek, a local business owner and long-time resident, will be the only new blood joining the council.

On June 25, the Atascadero City Council approved a resolution to place Measure L-24 on the ballot for the November 5 General Election that will extend Measure F-14 — a sales tax adopted in 2014. The measure, titled Atascadero Local Roads and Vital Services Funding Extension Measure, will ask voters to extend the existing half-cent per dollar (0.5 percent) general sales tax that is otherwise set to sunset in 2027.

You can find more information on the resolution here: atascadero.org/news/november-5th-general-election-ballot-measure-l-24

City of Atascadero election details can be found here atascadero.org/2024-general-election

For the Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD), there are three at-large seats available, each running a term of four years. Current board members with expiring terms in 2024 are: Matt Pennon, Terri Switzer, and Corinne Kuhnle.

Pennon and Kuhnle have both confirmed they will run for another term alongside challenger Veronica “Roni” DeCoster, whose occupation is listed as paralegal, bookkeeper, and parent.

Two more candidates have joined the race: Joey Arnold, a businessman and rancher, and Jodi M. Taylor, a small business owner. This gives Atascadero residents a choice of five candidates to choose from for the three open seats on their school board.

The district is also adding Measure B-24 to the November ballot. You can find more information on the measure here: slocounty.ca.gov/departments/clerk-recorder/forms-documents/elections-and-voting/current-elections/2024-11-05-presidential-general/documents/appendix-c-signed

Templeton

In the Templeton Unified School District (TUSD), there are three at-large seats open. Current trustees with expiring terms are Ted Dubost, Cheryl Parks, and Nelson Yamagata. Only Dubost and Parks are currently running for another term, leaving room for one more candidate to file.

Since there is one more seat open on the TUSD School Board, late incumbents have until Aug. 14 to file, which is before our printing deadline.

Paso Robles

In Paso Robles, there are three City Council member seats up for grabs this November:

City Council District 1 for a partial term of two years
City Council District 3 for a full term of four years
City Council District 4 for a full term of four years

Find the district map here: prcity.com/DocumentCenter/View/34109/District-Map—2022-2032-PDF

Currently vying for the District 1 seat, there are now three candidates, as Xavier Abarca did not qualify. Kris Beal, Sharon Roden, and Linda George will be running for the seat.

Roden currently holds this seat and was officially sworn in to serve the District 1 seat during the Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2023, City Council meeting. Beal and George were both candidates in the September 2023 interviews and were beat out by Roden. Beal is a Paso Robles High School alumna and former nonprofit executive director. George has a background as a campaign member and lobbyist.

For the District 3 seat, there are officially three candidates qualified to run as David Nelson did not qualify. Jeff Carr, Michael Rivera, and Steve Gregory are your official candidates. Gregory is currently serving as the District 3 City Councilmember.

In District 4, we see the current City Councilmember Fred Strong running for another term. Glenn O’Hagan was also bidding for the spot, but he did not qualify to run.

Also up for election is the City Treasurer which is an at-large seat for a full term of four years. Incumbent Ryan Cornell is the only person running for the position.

Additionally, Paso Robles residents will vote on Measure I-24 which includes three resolutions:

- Resolution 24-069 — Calling for the Placement of a General Tax Measure on the Ballot for the General Municipal Election (edocs.prcity.com/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=74351&dbid=0&repo=CityOfPasoRobles&cr=1)
- Resolution 24-070 — Requesting Consolidation of Municipal Election: Ballot Measure (edocs.prcity.com/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=74352&dbid=0&repo=CityOfPasoRobles)
- Resolution 24-071 — Providing for the Filing of Primary and Rebuttal Arguments and Setting Rules for the Filing of Written Arguments Regarding a City Measure (edocs.prcity.com/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=74353&dbid=0&repo=CityOfPasoRobles)

For more information on how to run for City Council, visit prcity.com/1041/Elections.

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJSUD) has four seats up for grabs this November for Trustee Areas 3, 5, 6, and 7.

For Trustee Area 3, Nathan Williams and Hunter M. Breese are vying for the seats. Williams is currently on the board and is serving as board president.

For Trustee Area 5, Laurene D. McCoy, who is already on the board, is running for a second term. Her competition is retired teacher and board member Tim Gearhart. McCoy was first elected in 2022 following Gearhart’s retirement, not seeking another term.

For Trustee Area 6, there are two running candidates running: Leo Castillo, a logistics management specialist, and parent Adelita Hiteshew. In 2022, Hiteshew ran for the open at-large seat that was won by McCoy. The PRJUSD is currently making the transition from an at-large to a Trustee Area board.

For Trustee Area 7, incumbent Kenney Enney and challenger Tracy Dauterman are vying for the seat. Enney is currently serving on the board, serving in what was at the time an at-large seat.

You can keep up to date with all San Luis Obispo County elections here slocounty.ca.gov/departments/clerk-recorder/all-services/elections-and-voting/elections-conducted-by-county-of-san-luis-obispo/november-5,-2024,-presidential-general-election

Atascadero News / Paso Robles Press will be following the election and providing coverage in the upcoming months.