San Joaquin County’s continued trend of moving steadily into the Republican column is highlighted by viewing the makeup of the current Board’s Republican majority and a quick look at the future.
Supervisor Leroy Ornellas defeated a corrupt democrat incumbent in his first race and has solidified his position on the board. Supervisor Ken Vogel is the former Executive Director of the San Joaquin GOP and longtime school board member who kept the seat of Jack Sieglock in the Republican column after his win in November. The linchpin of the new majority has been newly elected Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller. Ruhstaller claimed the open seat of the dreadful (and term-limited) democrat Dario Marenco and made it all the sweeter by defeating Sen. Mike Machado’s District Director Anne Baird.
The future looks even better with a strong Republican seat represented by Democrat Supervisor Victor Mow coming open due to term limits and a strong bench to take his place to add to the majority on the board. There is now even talk of being able to make a play to claim the solidly democrat seat of extreme liberal Supervisor Steve Gutierrez who is also term limited.
Democrat local officials have become a very rare species in the San Joaquin-Stanislaus corridor. The growing stregth of local Republicans will continue to weaken the democrat party’s ability to compete in this region.