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Mystery Solved Regarding Why Trump’s Name is Missing From Voter Guide’s GOP Party Endorsement

By now, California voters should have received their Presidential General Election Voter Information Guide in the mail.

Doni Chamberlain’s Shasta County Voter Information Guide sits upon her desk.

Here in Shasta County, former President Donald Trump is rock-star popular. His followers are anxious to see Trump return to the White House.

Prior to the 2016 election, North State Trump supporters stood for hours on a sweltering Redding Airport tarmac to hear his campaign speech and wave goodbye. Photo by Jon Lewis.

Trump is so supported, admired and adored by Shasta County MAGA voters that in many MAGA circles, if asked to name the United States President, lots of folks still steadfastly respond with, “Donald Trump”.

However, despite Trump’s popularity in Shasta County, Trump’s name is curiously absent from the Voter Guide’s Political Party Endorsements. Turn to page 14 in Shasta County’s Voter Information Guide and see for yourself.

Prior to getting the facts straight with solid, logical explanations from the ROV’s office, conspiracy theories heated up to a slow simmer, with accusations that the omission of Trump’s name was done intentionally, to disenfranchise Trump voters in a dark-red county in the middle of a big blue state.

Adding insult to GOP Trump supporters’ injury to find Trump’s name missing from Shasta County’s Voter Guide, there in black and white under page 14’s category of President of the United States, is Vice President Kamala Harris  listed along side “Democratic Party”. Next in line comes Tim Walz, Vice President of the United States candidate, followed by Adam Schiff, the Democratic Party’s selection for U.S. Senate.

Continue reading, and under Congressional District 1, Doug LaMalfa was chosen by the American Independent Party and the Republican Party, while the Democrats selected Rose Penelope Yee. Further down the page Tenessa Audette received the endorsement of the American Independent Party, but not the Republican Party’s.

From first thoughts to final facts

A series of knee-jerk reactions and assumptions kicked into gear throughout Shasta County as some confused voters tried to figure out why Trump’s name was missing from page 14.

Had the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters office messed up? No.

Perhaps had the local GOP party missed a deadline, and failed to submit Trump’s name in time for it to appear in the Voter Information Guide? Again, no.

We know these answers are true because despite the fact that today is one of the worst days to bother the ROV’s officer (ballot mail-out day) A News Cafe contacted the Shasta County Elections Office to ask about Trump’s page 14 absence. Kudos to the ROV’s office for responding with two, rapid emailed replies.

First came County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Thomas Toller’s emailed response:

Dear Ms. Chamberlain:

The political party endorsements which appear in our Shasta County Voter Information Guide are those which the respective parties have submitted to us by the deadline, which is 83 days before the date of the Election. If an endorsement for a particular candidate or measure does not appear in the guide, it is because it was not requested or was requested, but in an untimely manner, by the respective political party. Our office neither solicits these endorsements nor provides reminders of the approaching E-83 deadline for their submission.

I hope this answers your question.

Sincerely,

Tom Toller
Clerk/Registrar of Voters

ROV/County Clerk Thomas Toller

Before we could even tabulate the date 83 days prior to Nov. 5  (August 14) A News Cafe received a second email from Shasta County’s Election Office, this time from Joanna Francescut, Assistant Shasta County Clerk/Registrar of Voters.

Assistant ROV/County Clerk Joanna Francescut

Francescut shared with ANC the following August 14, 2024, letter to former ROV Cathy Darling Allen from the California Republican Party:

August 14, 2024
Ms. Cathy Darling Allen
Shasta Registrar of Voters
P.O. Box 990880
Redding, CA 96099

RE: Republican Party Endorsement for Sample Ballot – Elections Code, § 13302(b)

Dear Ms. Darling Allen:

The California Republican Party, a ballot-qualified party, has officially endorsed the candidates for the offices as listed below, and is submitting this letter for inclusion of the endorsement in your sample ballot for the November 5, 2024, General Election.
Office/District       Candidate First Name Candidate Last Name
CD01                                           Doug                                                             LaMalfa
SD01                                            None                                                             None
AD01                                            None                                                             None

As noted in the Secretary of State’s County Clerk/Registrar of Voters (CC/ROV) Memorandum # 12059, pp. 7-8 (February 12, 2012), the California Republican Party is the proper endorsing entity of the Republican Party. These endorsements were made pursuant to the California Republican Party’s bylaws, Article III, sections 3.02.02 and 3.02.03 the “lawful mechanism the party adopts for endorsing candidates for voter-nominated office.” Elections Code, § 13302(b). Please feel free to contact CRP Executive Director Bryan Watkins at 916-448-9496 x218 if you have any questions about the endorsement(s) noted above.

Sincerely,
Jessica Millan Patterson
Chairwoman California Republican Party

A News Cafe called the California Republican Party and left two messages; one for Ms. Patterson, and one for Mr. Watkins. Neither calls were returned. Had they replied, it would have been interesting to hear exactly how the CRP arrived at the decision to not endorse Donald Trump.

A News Cafe also emailed dozens of prominent North State GOP members for comment. Specifically, we asked a few questions regarding local GOP members’ reactions to the California Republican Party not endorsing Trump. Did they think this was a good or bad idea? Did they anticipate any possible local repercussions? Does seeing Donald Trump’s name on page 38 of the sample ballot help mitigate the sting of the exclusion of Trump’s name on page 14?

Only two responses from all those emails. Both were off the record.  Apparently, none of the GOP members were interested in going public with their opinions about CRP failing to endorse Trump.

Either way, here’s Trump’s name listed top and center in the Voter Guide under the Party-Nominated Officers category, with the explanation, “Candidates for these offices are the official nominee of the party displayed with their name.”

I’m glad we got that mystery cleared up. All that’s left now is to wait for our ballots to arrive in the mail.

In the meantime, if you dare think your vote is insignificant, remember that Redding City Council candidate Gary Cadd beat Dick Dickerson by only 9 votes in 2012. Remember that District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye won his race against challenger Erin Resner by just 90 votes in 2022. And more recently, remember that Crye avoided being recalled by just 50 votes earlier this year.

Every vote matters. Your vote matters. On your marks, get set, VOTE!

###

If you appreciate journalist Doni Chamberlain’s reporting, especially during this contentious election season, please consider a contribution to A News Cafe to help ANC’s team of dedicated media professionals continue their work. Thank you. We need you.

Doni Chamberlain

Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded A News Cafe in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke. Chamberlain holds a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from CSU, Chico. She's an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She's been featured and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Slate, Bloomberg News and on CNN, KQED and KPFA. She lives in Redding, California.

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