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From Congress to sheriff, Placer County has a hot election this June. What you need to know

Placer County will have a number of contested races for open election positions on the June 2022 ballot, including sheriff and a seat on the Board of Supervisors.
Placer County will have a number of contested races for open election positions on the June 2022 ballot, including sheriff and a seat on the Board of Supervisors. dkim@sacbee.com

Placer County is poised for one of its most important elections in years, with open races for sheriff, county supervisor, Congress and a number of other positions.

Longtime County Supervisor Robert Weygandt and Sheriff Devon Bell are not seeking re-election this year. As a result, Placer County will get a new sheriff for the first time since 2017, and for residents of western Placer, a new county supervisor for the first time since 1995.

I think that’s literally one of the most important races in Placer County in many years,” Weygandt said of the race to replace him. “Local government is extremely important.”

His successor will follow some other recent turnover on the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Suzanne Jones unseated Kirk Uhler in 2021. Uhler had served on the board for 18 years.

“It’s been fun generally being a supervisor in Placer because our community is very engaged and they hold our feet to the fire,” Weygandt said. “You have to explain why you’ve done what you’ve done.”

The race promises to be competitive with three candidates: a former mayor of Lincoln, a Roseville city councilman, and Weygandt’s district director.

Robert Haswell, former political consultant in Placer County and CEO of Visit Placer, said the offices up for election this year are a “big deal.”

“Open seat races are fairly rare,” Haswell said. “ . . . I think (voters) have three really strong choices for the District 2 supervisor, so it behooves the electorate to see them and hear them and make an informed decision.”

The seat is won if a candidate emerges from the primary with more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the two leading candidates will face off in November.

The race for sheriff, however, will be decided in June between Undersheriff Wayne Woo, who is endorsed by Sheriff Devon Bell, and Brandon Bean, a sergeant for the sheriff’s office and brother of slain Sacramento Police officer Bill Bean Jr..

County Board of Supervisors

District 1

Incumbent Supervisor Bonnie Gore is running for re-election unopposed.

District 2

Where it is: western Placer County, including Lincoln and a portion of Roseville

Supervisor Robert Weygandt, who is retiring at the end of the year after serving on the board since 1995.

Who’s running:

Scott Alvord, city councilman for Roseville’s District 3

Paul Joiner, former mayor of Lincoln

Shanti Landon, Weygandt’s district director

District Attorney

District Attorney Morgan Gire is running for re-election unopposed.

Sheriff

Sheriff Devon Bell is retiring after serving in the position since 2017.

Who’s running:

Wayne Woo, current undersheriff of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office

Brandon Bean, a sergeant for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office

United States Representative, District 3

Who’s running:

Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, a Republican

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, a Republican

Navy veteran Kermit Jones, a Democrat

Placer County Assessor

Who’s running:

Sam Sherrod, a supervising appraiser working in the Placer County Assessor’s Office with 18 years experience.

Matt Maynard, the appointed Placer County Assessor and certified appraiser who has worked at the county since 2007.

Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters

Who’s running:

Ryan Ronco, the current Clerk recorder seeking re-election

Amanda Cofran, a veteran with experience working in the federal government and Placer County elections

This story was originally published April 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

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