The politically astute readers of the Inland Empire were smart enough to have Donald Trump triumph over Kamala Harris. Interestingly, Harris still managed surprisingly better than expected in this region. In the Riverside County, Harris was able to scrape 48% of the vote, while in San Bernardino County, she could muster up 46%. In Kern County, however, she fell even ther below with just 38%.
Imagine if the representation were different, if Steve Garvey represented the Inland Empire rather than the whole state. The scenario would have been vastly different, as he got the nod with 54% of the votes in San Bernardino County, and 52% in Riverside County. With a comfortable margin, he would have been the new senator. Yet, across the wider state, the reigns were given to Adam Schiff who managed to win 57% of the votes.
In the Menifee’s District 3 race, a surprising event occurred: an official write-in candidate, Jay Sno-Fly, made an appearance on the ballot. This noveliroty, however, didn’t shift the scales as he got merely six votes.
A number of cities saw council incumbents returning unopposed. For instance, in Corona, we saw Tony Daddario and Tom Richins hold onto their seats. The same happened in Chino Hills with Cynthia Moran, and in Upland with Shannan Maust and Bill Velto.
In Claremont, incumbents Corey Calaycay and Sal Medina once again held the reins while in Ontario, incumbent Debra Porada won again. Chino’s longstanding Mayor Eunice Ulloa mustered a whopping 72% votes against Paul Rodriguez, a clear indication of which way the political winds blew in Chino.
In Rancho Cucamonga, Lynne Kennedy managed an impressive seat victory with 74% votes against rival Steven Lacey. Meanwhile, Jesse Sandoval won the Fontana election with 42% votes, with the remaining votes divided amongst the other candidates.
In Temecula, Matt Rahn managed to retrieve his council seat, whilst in Pomona, Debra Martin was victorious against John Nolte. In San Bernardino, Kim Knaus eclipsed Henry Nickel to victory, and Treasure Ortiz outshone Jim Penman.
Robin Grundmeyer maintained her position in Norco, emerging as the top vote-getter. The remaining available seats were occupied by newcomers Greg Bowen and Fia Sullivan, who managed to secure votes in their favor.
Interestingly, the conservative slant of some school boards was either kept steady or intensified within the Chino Valley. Politics indeed does play a significant role in shaping these educational institutions, with their leanings often aligning with the prevailing thought in the state.
In Riverside, voters favored Measure L, a mandate that sets up a government watchdog selected by the city. An indication perhaps of the citizens’ desire for greater transparency and oversight within their governance.
A one-cent sales tax is poised for clearance in Fontana, where Measure T received 52% support, and in Yucaipa, where Measure S garnered 60% backing. Anticipated to pump millions of dollars yearly into the city treasury, its implications are far-reaching.
However, the one-cent sales tax, Measure N, in Upland didn’t receive the same kind of support. It could gather only 35% votes, a piece of evidence of differing municipal standpoints.
In Chino Valley’s Independent Fire District, incumbent John DeMonaco was at odds with the firefighters union. Despite this, he remained in the lead, albeit by a slim margin of six votes. Such internal dynamics showcase the inherent complexities within localized social structures.
The City Council in Montclair witnessed a close contest between incumbent Tenice Johnson and candidate Xavier Mendez. Mendez nudged ahead by mere six votes. However, Ben Lopez secured the highest number of votes displaying the volatile nature of such local council races.