Dispatch: Week of November 13
Local election results edition
Hello from California’s high desert. The wind and the chill have both arrived — winter will be here shortly.
In case you missed it: It should be of no surprise to Dispatch readers that I am grieving last week’s election results, and the best way for me to make sense of that is writing. So please enjoy last week’s essay.
And now, onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Note: County-wide election results can be found here.
Rep. Jay Obernolte was reelected with roughly 60% of the vote, beating challenger Democrat Derek Marshall for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for District 23.
Republican State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh was reelected with roughly 62% of the vote, beating out Democratic challenger Lisa Middleton.
Republican State Assemblymember Greg Wallis was reelected to represent District 47 — which includes Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and parts of the low desert — with nearly 63% of the vote, overcoming Democratic challenger Christy Holstege.
Republican Tom Lackey beat Democrat Ricardo Ortega for State Assembly for District 34 — which includes Twentynine Palms, Wonder Valley, and the northern end of the Morongo Basin — with roughly 63% of the vote.
Mary E. Lombardo won the race for Copper Mountain Community College District Member, Governing Board Area 3, with just over 71% of the vote against Terence C. Latimer.
Karalee Hargrove was elected to the Morongo Basin Unified School District Governing Board with about 57% of the vote. Hargrove beat Robert Lee Hamilton as well as Johnnie Ray Ward, Jr.
Steven Bilderain won a seat on Twentynine Palms City Council with roughly 56% of the vote against Carrie Williams. April Ramirez was also elected to Twentynine Palms City Council with just over 50% of the vote against Paul Razo and Jim Krushat.
Jeff Drozd and Robert E. Lombardo were both reelected to Yucca Valley Town Council. Both men ran unopposed.
Johnny Tolbert, Jr., Steven James Hayden, and Eva Marie Rowles were elected to short-term stints on the Morongo Valley Community Services Board of Directors. Christina Gorke and Lance William Fisher won full-term appointments to the same Board of Directors.
Jane E. Jarlsberg and Stacy Doolittle both won seats on the Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors.
Voters approved the Morongo Basin Unified School District Measure C, which allowed the District to sell roughly $88 million in bonds to fund school improvements.
Voters rejected San Bernardino County Measure K, which would have increased the transit-occupancy tax rate from 7% to 11%.
Voters approved County Measure L, which allows the charter to be amended to set salaries for elected officials, though those salary amounts are not yet disclosed.
Voters approved Yucca Valley Measures Y and Z, which extends funding for city projects another 10 years.
In state news:
Californians elected Rep. Adam Schiff to the U.S. Senate over Republican Steve Garvey. Schiff was elected to fill the remainder of a shortened term as well as one full term.
Voters passed Proposition 2, which looked to issue roughly $10 billion in construction bonds to fix up and improve schools statewide.
San Bernardino County voters approved the measure, albeit at a closer margin than the statewide average.
Voters also passed Proposition 3, which removed language in the state’s constitution recognizing marriage as between “a man and a woman.” The Proposition effectively codifies the right to marriage for all people in the state.
Roughly 51% of San Bernardino County voters rejected the measure.
Voters passed Proposition 4, which allocated $10 billion in bonds to combat the effects of climate change across the state.
Roughly 53% of San Bernardino County voters voted in favor of Prop. 4.
Voters rejected Proposition 5, which would have eliminated the need for a two-thirds majority vote at the state level for affordable housing project review.
Nearly 60% of San Bernardino County voters rejected Proposition 5.
Voters rejected Proposition 6, which would have banned forced labor and indentured servitude for incarcerated people.
About 61% of San Bernardino County voters rejected Prop. 6.
Voters rejected Proposition 32, which would have raised the minimum wage to $18.
Just over 56% of San Bernardino County voters rejected Prop. 32.
Voters rejected Proposition 33, which would have made it easier for local governments to enact rent control.
Roughly 62% of San Bernardino County voters rejected Prop. 33.
Voters approved Proposition 34, which enacts restrictions on health care spending derived from prescription drug revenue.
Roughly 56% of San Bernardino County voters approved Prop. 34.
Voters approved Proposition 35, which allows for increased salaries for Medi-Cal medical professionals.
Exactly 66% of San Bernardino County voters approved Prop. 35.
Voters also approved Proposition 36, which increased legal penalties for theft and drug trafficking.
Nearly 75% of San Bernardino County voters approved Prop. 36.
In other news:
Beyoncé came out on top of Grammy nominations with 11 total entries. Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX were also among the most-nominated artists. The Grammy Awards ceremony will air on February 1.
Pupdate of the week: Oh, to be a dog without any concept of national politics, the internet, or tariffs. Alice and Oliver are still adjusting to our adjusted meal schedule post Daylight Saving Time, so they either have a very good concept of time, or none at all.
Trail tip of the week: Outdoor recreation can be many things — exhilarating, challenging, calming, peaceful. Regardless of why you decide to step outside, there will almost always be another person you come across at some point in your excursion. Acknowledge them, say hello, flash a smile. People are grumpy enough as it is — take a bit of time and effort to acknowledge those that share your appreciation for the outdoors.
Read of the week: Now seems as good a time as any to introduce you to Jessica Valenti, an incredible writer and journalist who has dedicated her career to covering abortion services, policies, and long-term effects in the United States. Valenti is an extremely talented writer with the ability to explain the most fraught, complex arguments in a simple, easy-to-digest (and infuriate) way. Now, more than ever, Valenti’s work needs all the support we can give.
Watch of the week: Thankfully, Apple TV’s drama-comedy Shrinking is back with its second season and it could not have come at a better time. The show’s first season followed Jason Segel’s character as he attempts to process the death of his wife while also working as a therapist himself. It is the kind of show where you are laughing one minute and quietly sobbing the next. It is heartfelt and kind, exactly the balm I’m still looking for this week. New episodes are released on Wednesdays.
That’s it for this week. I hope you are able to bundle up and spend lots of time outside this weekend — it’s good for you.
- Megan