With the filing period for the November election having opened, there is a tentative indication of how the matches for political leadership of the county at the local level is shaping up.
That filing period is to end on August 7 in most cases, but will be extended to August 12 for those contests in which the incumbent does not file for reelection.
In the City of Chino Hills, where Ray Marquez, Peter Rogers and Brian Johsz, respectively are due to stand for reelection this year in Districts 1, 2, and 4, the city is not making information relating to who has taken papers out to run for those positions available at this time.
In Chino, incumbent Councilman Marc Lucio has taken out candidate application papers in District, as has an individual with the last name of Alam and the initials M and S for his or her first name. Curtis Buron, the incumbent in District 2 has also taken nomination papers out, but like Lucio and Alam, has not returned them.
In Montclair, Mayor John Dutrey and council members Bill Ruh and Coryssa Martinez are up for reelection. All three are running and a challenger for city council, Victor Mendez, has emerged. It also appears, based on signage around the city, that there is an effort to recall incumbent Councilman Ben Lopez, who is not due to stand for reelection until 2028, ongoing.
Upland City Clerk Keri Johnson is refusing to disclose whether the three incumbents up for reelection this year – Second District Councilman James Breitling, Third District Councilman Carlos Garcia and Fourth District Councilman Rudy Zuniga – are seeking reelection and whether any opponents to them have emerged or who they are.
In a break from its past practice, the Ontario City Clerk’s Office is withholding identification of who has taken out papers to run for mayor and city council in this year’s race. The Sentinel has nevertheless learned that incumbent Mayor Paul Leon is being opposed in his re-elective effort by incumbent Councilman Alan Wapner and Kevin Kizee. Wapner, who lives in the city’s Third District, will not run to represent the Third District. Running in the Third District are D’Andre Lampkin and Jonathan Hagman. No incumbent on the council lives in the Second District. Running there are former City Councilman Ruben Valencia and Stephanie Martinez.
In Rancho Cucamonga, Councilwoman Lynne Kennedy is running for mayor, as are Jaskirat Sondh and Marjorie Hamada.
In District 2, incumbent Kristine Scott is being challenged by David VanGorden. In District 3, incumbent Ryan Hutchison, who was elected San Bernardino County treasurer in June, is apparently not seeking reelection. Stacy Henry has pulled papers to run to succeed him.
In Fontana, Mayor Acquanetta Warren is running once more and is being challenged by Mylinda Carrillo and Jocelyn Sida. District 1 incumbent is running against challenger Nubia Diaz. Incumbent John Roberts, currently the longest consistently serving elected local official in San Bernardino County, is seeking reelection, with Luz Perez and Ben Vasquez running against him in the city’s District 4.
Rialto City Clerk Barbar McGee has consistently had a policy going back several years of withholding information relating to applicants for political office in her city until the end of the candidate filing period.
In Colton, the city clerk’s office is withholding the list of those who are vying in this year’s election until the filing period closes. The Sentinel has learned that incumbent Mayor Frank Navarro is being challenged by Councilman John Echevarria.
In Grand Terrace, incumbent Mayor Bill Hussey is running for reelection and incumbent Councilman Doug Wilson is seeking reelection while Jeremy Briggs has pulled papers to run for city council.
In Victorville, incumbent District 2 Councilwoman Corrine Mora is running this year and is being opposed by Ken Lutz. In Victorville’s District 4, incumbent Councilman Bob Harriman is running for reelection, and has drawn Derek Marshall and Kassandra Shamsrouf as opponents.
In Adelanto, incumbent Mayor Gabriel Reyes is seeking to remain in office while facing a challenge from incumbent Councilwoman Stevevonna Evans and Ronald Beard. Incumbent Councilman Angelo Meza and incumbent Councilwoman Amanda Uptergrove are vying for reelection and Edward C. Reyes and Taisha Brown are running against them.
In Hesperia, incumbent District 3 Councilman Cameron Gregg is seeking to remain in office as is incumbent District 2 Councilwoman Allison Lee. Opposing Gregg is Jacqueline Maheata Tahauri and Felisnanda Monarrez. Jessica Navarro is opposing Lee. District 4 Councilwoman Brigit Bennington, who is currently the city’s appointed mayor, has not taken out candidacy papers as of today. Running to replace her in District 4 are Erin Baum, Robert Davie and Darrel Sauceda.
In Apple Valley, incumbent Mayor Scott Nassif is running this year, and David Dencker and Robert Lucero are running against him. In District 4, incumbent Curt Emick is seeking reelection, with Brian Cochrane and Matthew Rutledge vying against him. In District 3, incumbent Kari Leon is vying against challenger Ted Bohanon.
In Barstow, District 1 Councilwoman Carmen Hernandez and District 2 Councilman James Noble are due to stand for reelection this year. Hernandez has not filed candidacy papers yet, but Sonia Compton, Valerie Lee and Kelly M. Parker are running in her district. Noble has taken out candidacy papers, but no one else in the city’s Second District has done so.
In the City of Highland, incumbent Jesse Saldana and incumbent John Timmer are serving in districts 2 and 4, and are due to stand for reelection this year. Saldana has has pulled candidacy papers and yet faces no opposition. In District 4, Timmer has given no indication he will seek reelection, and Jason Isaacs has taken out nomination papers.
In Redlands, incumbent District 1 Councilwoman Denise Davis is vying for reelection, and is being opposed by Andrew Hoder and Douglas Gonzales. In District 3, incumbent Mario Saucedo, who at present is the city’s appointed mayor, is running for reelection. No opponent had emerged by press time this week. In District 5, incumbent Paul Barich is likewise running for reelection with no opposition.
In Big Bear Lake, as of this week, the three incumbents up for reelection this year, Rick Herrick in District 2, Randall Putz in District 3 and Perri Melnick in District 4 have not taken out candidacy papers. In District 2, Sonia Ibarra has pulled papers, as have Ernie Mendoza and and Michael Beveridge in District 3 and Suzy Gilleon and Cody Lewis in District 4.
In Yucaipa, the District 1 and District 2 council positions, held by Bob Miller and Chris Venable, respectively, are up for election this year. Venable, who is currently the city’s elected mayor, has pulled papers to run in November. Miller has not. reg Franklin and Chelsea Brammer-Ramirez are running in District 1.
In Yucca Valley, incumbent District 1 councilman Jim Schooler, incumbent District 3 Councilman Merl Abel and incumbent District 5 Councilman Rick Denison are all seeking reelection. No opponent for Schooler has surface, but Leilani Clancy is running against Abel and Dion Antic is vying against Denison.
In Twentynine Palms, incumbent District 3 Councilman Dan Mintz, who is now the city’s appointed mayor, incumbent District 4 Councilman Octavious Scott and incumbent District 5 Councilman McArthur Wright are due to stand for election. City Clerk Cindy Villescas has opted against publicly posting who has filed to run in this year’s election.
In Needles, City Clerk Candace Clark has opted against publicly identifying who has filed to run in this year’s election until the filing period closes.