Thumbnail photo: Del Norte County’s Veterans Memorial Hall was used as a polling place during the June primary. | File photo by Monique Camarena
A slew of director and trustee positions are still available for candidates who want to help shape policy concerning local water use, fire protection and the education of Del Norte County’s youth.
The filing period for two of the three seats up for grabs on the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Trustees has been extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday. The incumbents in both the Trustee Area 1 and Trustee Area 5 seats did not file their election paperwork by Friday’s deadline.
So far, two candidates — Briannon Fraley and Ron Bates — have filed election papers for the Trustee Area 5 seat that represents Klamath and communities south and east of Crescent City. Incumbent Michael Greer is seeking the California State Assembly District 2 seat currently held by Chris Rogers and is not seeking another term on the DNUSD Board.
As of Tuesday, no one has filed election papers to fill the Trustee Area 1 seat Don McArthur left behind when he retired last month.
“We’ve had some calls and had some interest, some nibbles, but nobody’s actually come in and taken out papers,” Del Norte County Elections Officer Alissia Northrup told Redwood Voice Community News on Tuesday.
Trustee Area 2 representative Abbie Crist has filed her election papers and is running unopposed.
In addition to the two DNUSD board seats, major local races that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot include the Crescent City Council, Crescent City Harbor District, College of the Redwoods, the Del Norte Healthcare District, the Del Norte Fairgrounds Rec and Park District and the Del Norte County Library District.
Several local water districts, fire protection districts and the Smith River Cemetery District are also holding elections this season.
Of the contested races this election season, only the lineup for the Crescent City Harbor District is set. According to Aliana Sciple, Northrup’s assistant in the Del Norte County Elections Office, incumbents Rick Shepherd and Gerhard Weber has filed their election papers. They will be challenged by Linda Sutter and Joe “Hank” Akin, both of whom have been frequent commenters at CCHD meetings, Sciple said.
Meanwhile, the filing period is still open for the Crescent City Council since incumbent Ray Altman is not seeking re-election. So far, David Sedgwick and Steve Shamblin have filed papers to run for two four-year terms on the City Council, according to Northrup.
If a third candidate doesn’t file papers, the City Council will have to decide whether to move forward with the election, Northrup said. She noted that in 2024, though there were three candidates running unopposed, the city still decided to move forward with a ballot for the November election.
There is also a two-year City Council term on the ballot this year due to the resignation of Daran Dooley in 2025, according to Northrup. Isaiah Wright has filed papers for that seat and is running unopposed.
Dooley was elected to the City Council in November 2024. Councilors appointed Shamblin to Dooley’s vacant seat in December 2025 to serve until the next regular election.
Del Norte County voters will also weigh in on who their representative on the College of the Redwoods board of Trustees should be. Since incumbent Carol Matthews is not seeking re-election, that race is still open to candidates. So far, former DNUSD superintendent Don Olson has filed papers for that seat, according to Sciple.
The Del Norte Healthcare District Board is also still open to candidates. Incumbent Shellie Babich has filed her election papers, Sciple said, however her colleague David Mason has decided not to seek re-election.
For more information on the General Election in Del Norte County, including a list of important dates, visit the Del Norte County Elections Office.
