Defeated District 2 Supervisor Candidate Laura Hobbs Calls for Recount, Files Lawsuit Alleging “Mal-Administration” of Elections

After winning only 19% of the March 5 District 2 vote, Shasta County candidate Laura Hobbs is calling for a recount. She hopes to overturn the March 5 election results which were certified in favor of her opponent, Allen Long.

Long received only thirteen more votes than the minimum required to win the primary.

Assistant County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut, who is running the Elections Office during elected County Clerk and Registrar of Voter Cathy Darling Allen’s extended medical leave, responded to Hobbs request for recount today, April 5, by announcing the estimated cost for the first day of the recount at $8626.67.

The recount is scheduled to start Monday at 9 am but Hobbs will be required to submit payment in that amount before the recount can begin, Francescut told Shasta Scout. As of 4 pm Friday afternoon, Hobbs had not yet submitted payment to the Elections Office and has not responded to Shasta Scout’s request for comment.

Recount procedures are are set by state law. In a press release, Francescut said that candidates for the District 2 contest may choose representatives to participate as observers for the recount. If Hobbs submits payment in time, initial preparation will begin at 9 am Monday, April 8, and will include the appointment of representatives and volunteers and the preparation of the ballots and supplies. Actual counting will begin at 1:15 pm Monday and continue until 4:15 pm.

“Once the recount begins on April 8, 2024” Francescut said by press release, “it will continue at least 6 hours a day each business day until the recount is completed. Counting of the recount will continue until there are no more votes to count, the requester calls a halt to the recount, or the requester fails to deposit the required amount.”

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Supervisor-elect Long told Shasta Scout that he’ll be there Monday to observe and that he supports Hobbs rights under state law to initiate this process.

“I think she has every right to request a recount,” Long said. “I just want to make sure its free from from any intimidation or undue influence and that people (in the Elections Office) are allowed to do their jobs.”

He said he believes the Shasta County Elections Office got the votes right the first time but if the recount shows a different outcome to the race he’ll move forward accordingly, in compliance with the law.

“Joanna is a professional,” Long said, referring to Francescut, “and she’s in charge.”

On April 2, Hobbs filed a lawsuit against both Long and ROV Darling Allen requesting the recount. The lawsuit was filed without the help of an attorney, and alleges “mal-administration” of the elections process resulting in undue favor for Long and a loss of approximately 539 votes for Hobbs.

As part of her lawsuit, Hobbs submitted declarations of support from two community members including Elections Commissioner Bev Gray who recently voiced a controversial radio ad that prompted concerns that Gray was impersonating an elections official. The other declaration in support of Hobbs lawsuit comes from militia-member and political activist Richard Gallardo who tried to push past barriers to reach ballots being delivered to the Elections Office in June 2022.

Hobbs, who says she has a PhD in microbiology, has become a frequent public commenter at both Shasta County Board meetings and Shasta Elections Commission meetings. She frequently uses her comment time to call out what she sees as inadequacies or illegalities in the local elections process, none of which have been submitted for the courts to review until now.

Have questions, concerns, or comments you’d like to share with us directly? Reach out: editor@shastascout.org.