Photo by Tom Arthur via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons License

All three incumbents have filed their paperwork for the Del Norte County supervisor seats up for grabs in the March 5 primary election, County Clerk-Recorder Alissia Northrup told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Monday.

This means anyone wanting to challenge Darrin Short, Valerie Starkey or Dean Wilson for the districts 1, 2 and 5 seats respectively have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit their declaration to seek public office to the Del Norte County elections office.

“If the incumbent does not file, the (filing period) extends by five calendar days,” Northrup said. “Locally all incumbents have filed so it would not affect local races.”

Starkey and Wilson each have their challengers, though not everyone is a certified candidate yet, Northrup said. So far, no one is challenging Short for his District 1 seat, she said.

At this point, the only seat on the primary ballot to have an extended filing period will be the California Assembly District 2 seat, according to Northrup. Incumbent Democrat Jim Wood stated early last month that he will not seek re-election, so the filing period for that race will be open through Dec. 13.

One local candidate, Del Norte County Unified School District trustee Michael Greer, is vying for that Assembly seat, Northrup confirmed Monday.

Greer faces competition from Santa Rosa City Councilor Chris Rogers, Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams, Healdsburg Mayor Ariel Kelley, Arcata resident Margarita Fedorova, Yurok Tribe Vice Chairman Frankie Myers and Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, the Lost Coast Outpost reported on Nov. 20.

The filing period has come and gone for the only other race local to Del Norte County — the judicial seat Robert Cochran currently holds. According to Northrup, Cochran won’t be seeking re-election.

Would-be judges had between Oct. 30 and Nov. 8 to file a declaration of intention to run for office. Since Cochran hadn’t submitted his declaration, that period was extended to Nov. 13, Northrup said.

At the national level, voters will weigh in on the U.S. House of Representatives California District 2 seat currently occupied by Jared Huffman as well as the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by the late Dianne Feinstein and currently held by appointed senator, Laphonza Butler.

According to Northrup, voters will be asked to decide who should finish out Feinstein’s term, which would have ended January 2025, as well as who should serve the full six-year term.

Though the filing period isn’t even over yet, voters are already receiving information about how to cast a ballot on March 5. Northrup said she sent mailers to no-party preference voters informing them that if they want to weigh in on U.S. president, they can request a Democratic, American Independent and Libertarian ballots to vote for their preferred candidate.

Those wanting to vote for Republican, Green or Peace & Freedom candidates will have to re-register to vote for those political parties, Northrup said. This rule only applies to the primary election, she said.

“It’s a good time to check what you’re registered as,” Northrup told the Outpost. “A lot of time people forget to check and make sure they get the ballot they want.”

Northrup said her office will begin sending ballots in the mail starting Feb. 5. That’s also the first day someone can walk into her office and get a ballot.

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