Full slate of candidates shaping up in Calaveras

By Dana M. Nichols | Record Staff Writer | March 26, 2012 12:00 AM

SAN ANDREAS – Dissatisfaction with the long economic slump and the hope that county government can do something about it has prompted a large field of candidates for three seats on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors.

With four names on the ballot in District 2 and three each in Districts 1 and 4, it also is possible it will be a long campaign.

A candidate can win the contest in the June 5 primary if he or she gets a majority of votes. But if not, then the top two finishers will face off Nov. 6. In the past, the primary often has decided races.

In contrast, the race for district attorney will almost certainly be resolved June 5.

Calaveras County District Attorney Barbara Yook, seeking her first elected term, faces a challenge from David Singer, an attorney in private law practice in San Andreas.

District 2 has the longest list of candidates. It is geographically the county’s largest – and it includes a wide swath of northern and central Calaveras County from Paloma to West Point and south to the towns of Sheep Ranch, Calaveritas and Mountain Ranch.

Supervisor Steve Wilensky has decided not to run again. He has served two terms.

Those vying to replace him are Mike Dell’Orto of Mokelumne Hill; Tom Swartz, who lists a Paloma address; Bryce Randall of West Point; and Chris Wright of Rail Road Flat.

Dell’Orto is a former county supervisor who served two terms from 1988 to 1996. He formerly served on the Planning Commission.

Randall is a former computer-chip engineer who now owns West Point Trading Post.

Swartz was unreachable for comment.

Wright is the executive director of the Foothill Conservancy, a group that works to protect the region’s rivers and landscape.

Incumbents will defend their seats in District 1 and District 4.

District 1 includes Wallace, Burson, the downtown portion of Valley Springs, San Andreas, and a lightly populated area between New Hogan Lake and Angels Camp. Incumbent Gary Tofanelli is seeking a second term. His challengers are business owners Cliff Edson and Joe Kelly.

Edson owns Country Cliff’s restaurant in San Andreas and is on the board of the San Andreas Recreation and Parks District. Kelly is a frequent speaker at board meetings and a longtime critic of Supervisor Tom Tryon. Kelly lives in a rural area close to Angels Camp and was in Tryon’s 4th District until redistricting last year moved him into the 1st District.

The 4th Supervisorial District now includes Copperopolis as well as Angels Camp. Tryon, a rancher in Angels Camp, is seeking his eighth term on the board. He faces challenges from business owners Russ Thomas of Copperopolis and Debbie Ponte of Angels Camp.

Thomas formerly served for one term as the county supervisor representing District 5, which at the time included Copperopolis and the Rancho Calaveras portion of Valley Springs. He was unseated in 2010 by Darren Spellman.
Ponte is the former mayor of Angels Camp.

Contact reporter Dana M. Nichols at (209) 607-1361 or dnichols@recordnet.com.
Visit his blog here.