One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
San Bernardino County’s 1st, 3rd district county supervisor races go to runoff election
File: San Bernardino county line
(
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
)
Listen
1:38
San Bernardino County’s 1st, 3rd district county supervisor races go to runoff election
It looks like the top two vote-getters in a pair of closely watched San Bernardino County races in Tuesday's primary will square off in November. The battle continues for the 1st and 3rd District county supervisor seats.
In the divisive race for 3rd District supervisor, embattled incumbent Neil Derry will face former San Manuel tribal leader James Ramos. The race is notable for the big money raised by the candidates, as well as questions over Derry’s legal woes and his ties to figures in an ongoing corruption probe.
Derry pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor for failing to report campaign cash. Ramos says it’s time for change.
“Because it shows how entrenched this negative image and this corruption is in San Bernardino County," Ramos said. "It doesn’t wanna move, doesn’t wanna go anywhere.”
Ramos fell just shy of the 50 percent majority needed to win the race outright. Derry says he’s confident he’ll prevail — but is ready to move on if he doesn’t.
“I’m expecting we will prevail," Derry said, "but if I don’t, I’ll go out in the private sector and do an honest day’s work like I’ve done my whole life.”
A third candidate, onetime Twentynine Palms mayor Jim Bagley, made a surprisingly strong showing. Bagley reeled in about 20 percent of the vote. The former mayor of Twentynine Palms, who has not said whether he’ll make an endorsement, says he’ll be back.
Sponsored message
“It’s a good fit for the life experience I’ve accumulated in the last 25 years," Bagley said. "We need to change this culture of corruption and you’ve got to elect people who have that ethic behind them.”
Seven candidates went for the open seat in the 1st Supervisorial District. It’s being vacated by one-term Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. Top vote-getters, businessman Robert Lovingood and Apple Valley city council member Rick Roelle, will face off in November.
Mitzelfelt stepped down to run in the newly created 8th Congressional District. Despite his name recognition and a well-funded campaign, the outgoing supervisor failed to garner enough votes to qualify for the fall election.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
