Deceased candidate leads Calaveras County supervisor race in California

Right · 2Bruce Giudici, a candidate for Calaveras County District 5 supervisor in California, is leading the Nov. 3 race against Clyde Clapp in unofficial results, although he died on Aug. 31. 1 2 Right · 2The New York Post reported 1,982 votes (57%) for Giudici to 1,496 (43%) for Clapp; the Washington Examiner, citing a later county tabulation from Tuesday afternoon, reported 2,002 to 1,505, a 497-vote lead and 14.2-point margin. 1 2 Right · 2Giudici, 68, fell on a steep driveway while campaigning door-to-door and died of his injuries, according to his campaign; the Examiner adds that a homeowner called 911 and he died a day later. 1 2

Mixed · 2Newsweek gives more detail: Giudici was knocking on doors in Valley Springs on Aug. 30 when he fell, suffered a serious head injury and died the next day at San Joaquin General Hospital; the Post, citing his website, dates the fall to Aug. 31. 3 1 Right · 2Ballots remain outstanding: the Post cited 322 left to count and 340 "left to cure" (missing or mismatched signatures), while the Examiner, citing the county website, cited 168 still to be processed plus the same 340. The Examiner says the combined 508 could be enough to close the 497-vote gap, and officials say the race is too close to call; the Post says it is unclear whether any are from District 5. 1 2 Centre · 1Newsweek, which also uses the 2,002 to 1,505 count, lists 168 unprocessed ballots countywide and 340 curable ones, and says it is unclear how many are from District 5. It quotes campaign volunteer Carrie Biggs-Adams telling KCRA that it is "unlikely that the outcome of the race will change." 3

Right · 2Giudici's campaign kept going after his death. Volunteer Carrie Biggs-Adams called the decision to continue "very complicated" and "emotional", saying volunteers wanted to "finish his mission"; the campaign urged voters to vote for him to "prevent Clyde Clapp from winning". 1 2 Centre · 1Newsweek reports that under California law a candidate who dies after the 68th day before an election stays on the ballot and votes for them count; it was too late to remove Giudici's name. If he keeps his majority through certification he is treated as elected, and the seat becomes vacant when the new term starts in January. 3 Right · 1The Examiner reports that the race is nominally nonpartisan, that Clapp, a former county supervisor, was backed by Reform California, a conservative-leaning group, and that Giudici was a leader of the Peace and Justice Network of San Joaquin County. It also reports he had labor union endorsements and the backing of the current District 5 supervisor. 2

Centre · 1Newsweek adds that Giudici, a fiscal officer at a nonprofit, led the June primary with 36.9% to Clapp's 35.6%. It says Clapp, now 77, won the seat in a 2016 recall and lost it to Benjamin Stopper in 2018. It also reports that the Calaveras Enterprise covered a state complaint over a marijuana-ban vote and a judge's elder-abuse finding against Clapp. Clapp called Giudici's death "a tragedy" in September, and Newsweek said it had asked him for comment. 3 Right · 2If Giudici wins, the vacancy would be filled temporarily by an interim supervisor appointed by Governor-elect Xavier Becerra when the current term ends in January; the Examiner says that appointee would serve until a special election or the next supervisor race in March 2028. 1 2 Centre · 1Newsweek says Becerra, a Democrat, is due to be sworn in on Jan. 4, 2027, and that his appointee would serve about 15 months, until a successor is elected, likely starting with the March 2028 primary. It notes the county leans Republican: Republican Steve Hilton won 63.7% there in the governor's race. It also gives precedents of dead candidates winning, including Missouri's Mel Carnahan in 2000. 3

Right · 2The next results are expected by 5 p.m. local time Friday, and the election must be certified by Dec. 3. The Post asked Clapp's campaign for comment; its article does not record a response. 2 1