Since 2024 is a presidential election year, California’s Legislature decided to move the primary election from its traditional June date up to March 5. That accelerates the 2024 primary’s timeline for both local and partisan races.
On Nov. 13, less than 50 days from now, filing opens for offices on the March primary ballot. Filing closes on Dec. 8 unless no incumbent runs. That will occur in Marin’s 2nd Supervisorial District, where filing closes on Dec.13.
The theory was that an early March election would give Golden State voters clout in each party’s presidential nominating process. That was the hope. Unless there’s a seismic change in American party politics before March, the presidential nominations are effectively a done deal.
It’s a safe bet that Democrats will renominate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at their national convention in Chicago starting on Aug. 19. Likewise, it’s a wise wager that Donald Trump and anyone but Mike Pence will be nominated at the Republican national conclave beginning July 15 in Milwaukee.
Nonpresidential California partisan elections are based on the “top two” system whereby the candidates who come in first and second, regardless of party, face off in November.
As ailing U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California will retire, there’s a vigorous three-way contest to select her successor. The race is between three Democratic Congress members: Barbara Lee of the East Bay; Katie Porter of Orange County; and Burbank’s Adam Schiff. Given California’s overwhelming Democratic voter registration, it’s unlikely any Republican will make the top-two runoff.
Local partisan races include the District 2 North Bay-North Coast seat in the House of Representatives and the District 12 Marin-Sonoma seat in the state Assembly. The former is held by San Rafael Democrat Jared Huffman. The latter is also represented by a San Rafael Democrat, Damon Connolly. While there will be GOP opposition, both districts are firmly Democratic.
In Marin, the focus is on the District 2 seat representing Ross Valley, Larkspur and western San Rafael on the Marin County Board of Supervisors, where the incumbent, Katie Rice, opted to retire.
Four candidates have declared in the top-two primary: San Anselmo Councilmember Brian Colbert (a former mayor), Larkspur Mayor Gabe Paulson, past Kentfield School Board Trustee Heather McPhail Sridharan and former member of the Fairfax Town Council and current Ross Valley School District trustee Ryan O’Neil. All are well-qualified with very different backgrounds and priorities.
All four declared candidates have commenced vigorous campaigns. Colbert, Paulson and Sridharan have first-rate websites. O’Neil said his website will launch next week. All are aggressively fundraising and are walking door-to-door canvassing voters. Colbert is backed by Rice, the incumbent he’s seeking to replace. Sridharan has the nod from former Mary Jane Burke, the former Marin superintendent of schools.
San Anselmo Mayor Steve Burdo is still considering a run for the seat.
There are two other Board of Supervisors offices on the March ballot. In West Marin’s District 4, incumbent Dennis Rodoni is running for reelection. So far, he’s unopposed. Likewise in the Southern Marin-centered District 3, past Mill Valley mayor and current incumbent supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters is running for a second four-year term without any opponents on the horizon.
In Ross, the terms of three town council members, Mayor Elizabeth Brekhus, Bill Kircher and Beach Kuhl, are expiring. The March ballot sees potential contests for Marin County Superior Court divisions held by incumbent judges James Chou, Beth Jordan, and Kelly Simmons. Two seats on the Ross Valley Sanitary District are up, as are three posts on the Almonte Sanitary District board serving Mill Valley.
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Mill Valley’s school district is keeping its promise to consult with the public before funds from its successful 2022 Measure G bond are allocated. The topic is re-envisioning and rebuilding the district’s aging middle school. The feedback session is Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Mill Valley Middle School library at 425 Sycamore Ave.
