Four Candidates Will Move Forward Towards Possible Appointment as Shasta County’s Top Election Official

Yesterday, June 18, eight candidates for Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters (ROV) were interviewed by the Board of Supervisors. Four have been selected to appear again today, June 19, for a second round of interviews. 

They include elections attorney Clint Curtis, former Deputy DA Tom Toller, Executive Assistant John Gaglione, and Assistant County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut.

During interviews, Curtis, who’s famously made claims about computer software being linked to election fraud, told the Board he’s been asked to apply for ROV jobs all around the county but has never done so until now. 

“That’s because Shasta County is special,” Curtis said, “And Shasta County is special because this board is special!”

While Curtis said while he hasn’t had much experience in California yet, his expertise in elections law makes him a strong candidate. But when Supervisor Tim Garman asked how he’d handle AB 969, the new state law passed last year that outlaws hand counting, Curtis said he didn’t know what AB 969 was. 

Speaking to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in March 2023, Curtis encouraged the board not to use voting machines and claimed the Deputy California Secretary of State had provided the public with “massive misinformation.” Supervisor Patrick Jones nominated Curtis to move forward to the second round of interviews.

Another attorney, a former Shasta County Deputy DA who now has a private practice, will return for a second interview at Supervisor Kevin Crye’s request. Toller told the Board he’s ready to get up to speed on elections.

“What goes on in the Elections Office at this point is somewhat of a black box to me,” Toller said, “but I’m committed to quickly learning.” 

He said he’d use his legal experience to “bring an independent mind”  to decisions about how election laws will be implemented in Shasta County whether or not that matches how the California Secretary of State sees things.

“I’m a firm believer that just because the Secretary of State of California tells us a statute or reg must be interpreted a certain way, that’s not the end of the story,” Toller said.

He also hinted that he might be looking to implement a change in staffing at the Elections Office, saying he’s prepared to conduct evaluations of current elections staffing and retrain those who remain. He told the Board he has experience terminating staff and administering non-disclosure agreements.

Supervisor Chris Kelstrom nominated John Gaglione, an elections staffer from Kane County Illinois, for a second look by the Board. Gaglione came to the elections profession much later in life, after a full career in insurance sales. He’s an Executive Assistant to the Kane County Clerk but referred to himself as “the primary person responsible for elections security” in Kane County, a role he did not elaborate on.

He acknowledged his extremely limited experience in California elections law but said he’d work with existing staff and stakeholders in Shasta County to learn.

The fourth candidate who will interview for a second time is Shasta County’s Assistant County Clerk and Registrar of Voters, Joanna Francescut. Supervisors Tim Garman and Mary Rickert nominated Francescut for further consideration by the Board.

She’s said she’s had sixteen years of experience in the local Elections Office during which time she’s participated in two redistricting processes, and helped administer thirty elections and process over 1.3 million votes.

In response to questions, Francescut said she welcomes criticism and responds to community feedback, citing an example of a community member who recently provided her a list of names that he believed represented voters who no longer live in the area. Concerns like this are responded to, Francescut said, within five days. 

Francescut is the top choice of many in the community because of her long-term experience. She’s been running the Shasta County Elections Office for months, after the County’s former ROV Cathy Darling Allen to step down mid-term due to health concerns.

Four candidates were not asked to return for a second round of interviews. They include Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Senior Staff Analyst Jennifer Waltman, HHSA Tobacco Compliance Specialist Debbie Burkett, CalTrans Construction Safety Coordinator Ken Michaud, and Simpson Associate Professor Dan Sloan. One candidate for the position, Humbold Realty Association CEO Kristin Kelley, dropped out before interviews began.

The remaining candidates will reappear before the Board today, June 19, at 9 am. Questions for the second round of interviews have not yet been chosen by the Board. They’ll discuss and agree upon those prior to interviews during open session today.

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