Meet Laura Hobbs for Shasta County Supervisor
Hobbs says she’s running for supervisor to change the local elections process so that people’s voices will be heard.
This story is part of Shasta Scout’s ongoing citizen-powered election coverage. Our election reporting flips the script by asking candidates to answer questions from the community. Hobbs is running against three other candidates for the area of Shasta County known as District 2. Her interview was conducted long-form and in person. The questions were drawn broadly from reader responses to Scout’s latest reader survey on elections. Hobbs’ responses have been curated and paraphrased for this format. Unsure what district you’re in? Find out here.
2.13.2023 8:11 & 11:30: We have corrected the date Hobbs moved to the area. We’ve also corrected an important error regarding donor funds to show that Hobbs has twelve individual donors, not six as originally reported.
Scout: What should we know about you? What brought you to Shasta County?
We moved here in 2021 for health reasons. I also had a sister here, so it made it an easy choice. At the time we were considering moving out of state. But I’m glad that we stayed here and I encourage anybody who’s considering leaving the state for political reasons to stay and fight.
I’m a stay-at-home mother. I have three children that are school age, and we homeschool them. I also have training in microbiology. I got my PhD in microbiology over ten years ago but made the decision to stay home with my kids instead of pursuing another post-doctoral faculty position. It just seemed to make sense at the time to be with my young kids who need me the most.
I was very passionate and excited about my research and I found a lot of really interesting associations. But it came to the point where it was just really clear that being a research scientist, working 60 hours a week in the lab, is not compatible with the kind of parenting I want to offer my children.
Scout: Why did you decide to run for the Shasta County Board of Supervisors?
I looked at the other candidates that were in the race at the time and I didn’t really see anybody who was America-first, MAGA. I didn’t see anyone that was really passionate about the reelection of President Trump. And I didn’t see anyone that cared about the issues that I think are pivotal to Shasta County, the elections and hand counting. Without having our votes counted accurately I feel like none of the other issues really matter. Because if you can’t express your will, if the people don’t have their voices heard and accurately reflected in the vote, then they’re no more than slaves. I think it’s something that people on both sides of the aisle should be passionate about.
Scout: How would you describe yourself as a candidate?
I would describe myself as an ordinary citizen who wants what’s best for my children and for all the citizens of Shasta County, and certainly for all the citizens in District 2. I feel like what qualifies me is that I can speak openly and honestly and I can stand by those convictions. I’m not looking for a seat in a higher office in Sacramento or D.C. so I’m completely devoted and faithful to the needs and desires of the people in Shasta County. I’m not looking for this as a feather in my cap. I’m doing this out of my heart. I think that that distinguishes me from other candidates is that I’m not looking for a career in politics. I’m not looking for the next big thing.
Scout: Are you committed to following state law?
That depends on the law that you’re referencing. All state laws should follow the supreme law of the land, which is the Constitution of the United States. Furthermore, they should also follow the California Constitution. So if there are laws that are unconstitutional, then we absolutely shouldn’t blindly follow them.
We need to use the local laws and ordinances that are available to us already. The states have the authority to decide how they want to run their elections and what process they’re going to use. I believe the California State Constitution also gives the counties significant plenary rights which are absolute rights and give the counties a lot of control over how they conduct their elections. This is an area we need to look into as supervisors to make sure that we’re using the full authority that we have under our control as supervisors.
This doesn’t just pertain to elections, it pertains to all the ways that the state is retaliating against us. For example, Shasta County already said we wouldn’t approve windmills here but the state pushed forward by allowing the California Energy Commission to reexamine the issue. If they’re going to continue to retaliate and break our local ordinances, there has to be accountability for that.
(Editor’s note: Under California law, counties have limited local control over how they run the elections process. That structure likely exists in part because individual county election processes affect outcomes for statewide voters.)
Scout: Would you push back against the state via the courts or in another way?
I think we need to create more strong local ordinances. The Board should vote in an ordinance that says that Shasta County will hand count votes at the precincts with paper poll books. That would be a very good first step because when the board canceled the Dominion voting machine contract, they didn’t actually specify exactly how they were going to proceed instead. So this would give us additional authority and put it in writing in the local law. That way if Cathy Darling Allen decides that she’s going to do what the state says not what the county says, she’ll be breaking local law.
(Editor’s note: It’s not legal for counties to create local laws that oppose state laws. In this case, a local ordinance for hand counting would not be legal due to the new California law known as AB 969.)
Scout: From our research, counties can’t make laws that oppose those of the state. Does your research differ?
That’s one reason making Shasta County a charter county is important. Charter counties can decide to do things differently than the state does. That’s absolutely within our rights.
(Editor’s note: In California, charter counties are also bound by state law although their structure is allowed to differ from that of general counties in certain specific ways. Charter counties can impact local voting processes if the charter approved by voters specifies that board members can appoint the local elections officer. In general law counties like Shasta, election officials are chosen by the people. The charter on the ballot in March would not change how elections officials are chosen.)
Scout: Who are your largest funders? What PAC’s have supported your campaign either directly or indirectly?
At this time, the only large donor that I have is the Water Users Committee. Most of my contributions are from small donors. And that’s something that I’m really proud of, the fact that I have the community behind me.
(Editor’s Note: The Water Users Committee is a Political Action Committee or PAC, that’s been funded almost entirely by money from wealthy East coast donor and former county resident Reverge Anselmo. According to Hobbs’ last publicly available Form 460, filed January 31, 2024, Hobbs has received a total of $12,626. Of that money, $5,500 has come from the Water Users Committee, $3,500 from a single donor, and about $3,000 more from eleven individually named small donors.)
Scout: How would you work towards a sustainable county budget?
One of the ways we can move towards a sustainable budget is by moving from our designation as a suburban county to redesignation as a rural county. This enables you to have more reasonable executive salaries and be fiscally responsible by not spending a lot on top positions. I prefer if funds for salaries are spent, they should be spent on the entry-level workers, the level where services are actually provided to the citizens.
(Editor’s Note: a recent decision by the Board of Supervisors to re-designate Shasta County as a rural county within the nonprofit membership organization known as the California Association of Counties will not impact the county’s executive salaries.)
Scout: Do you support recent salary contract increases for Shasta County’s CEO and Public Health Officer?
I think the reason for those increases is that the Board wanted to protect those two people against political retaliation. A lot of times what can happen is that when the Board changes hands after an election, people’s careers get completely cut off. People who have dedicated their lives to serving in Shasta County deserve to have a little bit of protection and security, especially if they’re performing well. And I think that Dr. Mu and our CEO are doing an excellent job.
(Editor’s note: Both CEO Rickert and Mu were appointed within the last year.)
Scout: Given that you don’t trust the local elections process, will you be able to trust the outcome of your race?
I think everyone needs to think about whether they really trust the officials that are counting their votes. And whether it’s being done fairly and accurately. It’s not just about me and my race. It’s about the citizens of Shasta County.
I do obviously have concerns about voting machines. I’ve expressed those concerns pretty considerably throughout the last year. But whether or not I’m a candidate on the ballot is inconsequential to that. I will feel the same way before, during and after this election.
If the votes were being hand counted, I would definitely feel a lot more secure that the votes will be counted accurately, and that the outcome will be a fair one. But nevertheless I still think that it’s important that people do go out and vote. And I think it’s important that candidates with doubts about the election system do not shy away from running for office.
I’d like to point out that a Rasmussen poll last year showed that the majority of Americans have doubts about our elections process nationwide. So it’s not an extremist idea.
Scout: What would help you feel more comfortable about the outcome of an election that uses machine counting?
What we need to feel comfortable is complete transparency. We can’t see inside the voting machines. We need something that’s so transparent that anybody can understand the results. Something where you don’t have to have a computer science degree or be a fancy cyber guy to know whether or not the counts were accurate. What we need is a system that the ordinary 80-year-old poll worker can see with his or her own eyes. And that would be hand counting at the precincts with paper poll books.
Scout: How would you work to address homelessness?
This is a topic that comes up every election. It’s nationwide, but California deals with it more than other states. There are serious issues that need to be addressed. Part of it is the Biden-omics, which is forcing people into a situation where they don’t have enough money just to meet their monthly needs. Many are living month to month or barely making ends meet, and when you’re so close to that raw and ragged edge, anything can cause homelessness. But just throwing money at the problem is not going to help and we need to be wise about how we spend our money in this county.
There are people that choose homelessness as a lifestyle because they don’t want to obey the rules of society or because they can’t get out of the cycle of drug addiction. I support programs that help people that really want to get out of drug addiction. There’s a really great program called New Life Discovery Center, where people can go if they’re really ready to make a change in their life and commit to follow the rules. That organization has provided shelter, work, and all the social services people need to get out of their specific circumstances. I think we need more programs like that.
Scout: How would you address the need for developing additional housing in our community?
In Shasta County we actually have some of the most affordable housing in all of California. That’s great, but it doesn’t say much because everywhere else the prices are so overblown that it’s unreasonable for people to be able to pay rent on what little income that they have.
Suspending the impact fees, as the Board just did, will be good for new growth and may open up some housing opportunities for people. Right now, people are hesitant to build. I talked to somebody who chose to build in Modoc county instead of Shasta County, because it was gonna save them $20,000. And when you have people choosing not to build houses that’s going to impact the available housing.
Scout: How would you address labor concerns at the County?
I support a forensic audit county-wide, which would look at how the money is being spent in each department. And after that I would support restructuring county systems so that there’s less overhead and more going towards the people at the bottom and towards providing services for our community.
I think doing that could open up some salary increases for the lower-paid county workers by redistributing available funding towards those who need it the most, those providing social services and who are barely making ends meet. I really feel for those people and I don’t think how they’re being treated is right. I think they’re providing a valuable service and they need to be compensated, but in order to do so we need to look at the budget as a whole and see where we can skim from the top to give more to the bottom.
Scout: Can you explain what you mean by the term forensic audit?
Forensic audits look at not just revenue vs expenses but also the efficiencies of each department. It’s not just about finances, but more importantly, about what is being produced or what services are being provided for the money spent. What are the services being provided? What is the county getting for what it’s spending?
So for instance about a month ago, the board had an item from Health and Human Services on the agenda. It was for over $7 million to go to a private contractor out of Riverside for locked-door psychiatric care services. Just sitting there in the audience, I looked the contractor up. They had about 35 employees, and half of those employees were either executives, or management. When the board heard a presentation on the topic it turned out there were about 16 people being served monthly by this program. I think it’s important that those 16 people get those services. But if you break that cost down, it was about $11,000 per person per month. And I just wonder how much of that was actually going to the care of that individual versus how much of it is going to their overhead.
So that’s where a forensic audit could really help us identify areas in which we can use our money more efficiently and still provide the services that we need.
(Editor’s Note: According to The Law Dictionary, forensic audits are used where an entity’s finances present a legal concern such as in cases of suspected embezzlement or fraud or to investigate bribery.)
Scout: Are you against the idea of taking state funds for local services?
We need to see where the money is going and we need to decide whether or not we’re getting what we’re paying for. We have to make sure the money going to the Health and Human Services Agency, for example, is actually producing something that’s a benefit to the community.
The state is currently $68 billion in debt. So going forward, I think we should be cautious that we’re dealing with an entity that may or may not be able to reimburse us for money we’ve spent. We may need to tell the state that we will accept grants but only if they give the money in cash up front.
Scout: How would you help our community prepare for and reduce the risk of wildfire?
I think we should work on fuel cleansing projects. I know some of the Zogg Fire settlement was spent on that but we could have done more by just opening up a fifty-million dollar fund for the citizens of Igo/Ono who could then apply for grants for fuel clearing and rebuilding. There’s a lot of hardships that are ongoing as a result of that fire.
Scout:Thank you for your time! How can people learn more about your campaign?
I have a lot of information on my website where they can see videos of me speaking to the board and find out where my next town hall is. I also take questions from the audience at my town halls and anyone can attend and ask a question.
You can find our other candidate interviews here. Have questions, concerns, or comments? Reach out to us: editor@shastascout.org.
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California has one party rule–Democrats— who have absolute control of the executive and legislative branches as well as the Fourth Estate ( media). The imperative for our “rulers” in Sacramento and Washington is to maintain control by all means, at all levels, and at all costs. For our “rulers” the Constitution and fair elections are impediments to be undercut . As Joseph Stalin (Russian dictator) famously said…..”Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.”
Last night I attended a town hall where Laura Hobbs spoke and answered questions. I found her refreshingly honest, well informed and incredibly hard working for Shasta County.
She gets it.
We need to stand up for our rights, for honest elections, and for honest, responsible
government in Shasta. County.
I believe electing Laura Hobbs as our supervisor will be a step in the right direction.
Jim from Ono
Jim,
I agree! Great points. Our Country is in serious decline, and we are at a tipping point. Sadly, many Americans are still brainwashed by the media and do not believe there is significant corruption in our government in many areas.
This is a new level of insanity. Her thinking is going to bankrupt the County, and destroy the chances to reduce crime. Plus, what she is saying is actually wrong and illegal.
Reality time…Sloan & Hobbs will scramble for 3rd & 4th place on March 5th. Much too much is being thrown around as to who is ‘the’ Republican in the room. Sorry, but this is going to backfire. Even sane and sensible Rs are not taken in by these extremists who call themselves Republicans. A more fit title would be charlatan. And mixing God and State politics is simply a No-No. Mr. Santangelo, you almost have it right… Trump is MAGA and MAGA is Trump, no way out of that one. Go ahead and follow him to his defeat, and those on his train to nowhere.
I am concerned that this candidate, and others, believe that individuals like supervisors can determine what is constitutional under the federal or state constitutions. That is a function for the courts in a thoughtful and representative way. The loose and unproven way that folks toss around the assertion that what they want to be constitutional or its opposite is, of course, the truth is confusing.
Thank you for this interview. I appreciate the questions that allow a candidate to be forthcoming about their aims and beliefs, and greatly appreciate the fact checking that was included. Quality reporting.
It’s not Laura Hobbs, it’s “DOCTOR” laura hobbs 🙄🙄
The article includes information about her PhD. I’m not sure why people think its so important to use the term Dr. on every mention of an individual with a PhD. If Hobbs was a source for a topic related to her field the use of her title would be appropriate in the article for sure. For example, someone close to me has a PhD but only uses the title Dr. in the academic setting which is where it’s appropriate given their profession.
It all started Annelise when Dr Dan Sloan used the title in the beginning through the middle of his BOS campaign- that would be outside academic circles. Sometimes he slips and still uses Dr. (but don’t hold that against him).
Be fair Annelise, call out Dan too. Some call them the two doctors.
Annelise,
Laura Hobbs Doctorate Degree was earned. She doesn’t have to be practicing a
the field of your choice right now.
For grins and giggles to make you happy.
Laura Hobbs in my opinion may use her Dr. Degree as the Dr of common since and conservative philosophies. Vote Dr. Laura Hobbs 2nd District.
Happy Citizen: Of course she can use her doctorate degree whenever she pleases. It’s my decision when and how to use it in our stories.
MAGA is sweeping the country again and what it means hasn’t left the hearts of millions of Americans like Laura. MAGA represents keeping boys out of girls locker rooms and keeping men out of women’s sports. MAGA means serving our country without being coerced into taking the Vax under threat of losing your job. MAGA Americans support military men and women. We understand that mask wearing and vaccines should be a personal choice, not a government mandate. MAGA means keeping jobs in this country and having fair trade agreements to protect American workers. MAGA means fair and transparent elections. MAGA Americans apply critical thinking instead of blind acceptance to laws passed by untrustworthy legislators, standing firm in our respect for the Constitution of the United States. MAGA Americans stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, support funding police and fire departments. MAGA means earning your American citizenship like the millions who came before us.
Why are some so critical of MAGA? Do you not understand the greatest movement of our time or do you want the opposite of what MAGA means? Perhaps you conflate MAGA with President Trump. Believing that being rid of President Trump will end MAGA. Nothing could be further from the truth. President Trump is MAGA but MAGA isn’t President Trump and MAGA will continue. At the core of MAGA is love of our great country and the desire to see it continue being one of the greatest countries in the world.
Shasta County Republican Assembly has endorsed Laura Hobbs for District 2. Laura Hobbs is genuine and authentic…the real deal. This homeschool mom has come out of her comfort zone to right the wrongs when others would not.
We should all be so brave.
VOTE FOR LAURA HOBBS FOR DISTRICT 2 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
Domenic Santangelo
President
Shasta County Republican Assembly
So very well written. I agree 100% with your comments. It is hard to believe that we have citizens who oppose MAGA.
FORMER president trump or even citizen trump but he is no longer ‘President’ trump. Get your facts straight.
Agree with Domenic and his lessons of the meaning of MAGA.
Thats.
“Make America Great Again.” After the Election Fraud of 2020. Look what’s happened to our Country in 3 1/2 yrs.
1) Flooding the country with 10 million Illegal Aliens.
2) High cost of Fuel for Autos, Transport of goods, Heating and Cooling of Homes.
3) Which causes inflation of Food, Merchandise, Health Care, Insurance, Taxes, Etc.
The 3 1/2 yr. invasion of Illegal Aliens will cost the USA a trillion dollars.
Yep! Time to Make America Great Again. And we start with 5 conservative republican Shasta County Supervisors this March 5.
Whew! Reading that might’ve caused actual brain damage. Never was there a more unfit candidate.
Everything she just said is an insult to anyone with a brain. I live in dist 1 and she came to my door asking for my vote. She didn’t even know what district she was in. I’d like her to tell me one verifiably true fact on how our elections are not to be trusted. I love all the editors corrections.
At least two persons making comments are going to see Ms. Hobbs come in 4th in District 2. When she says she’s only taken money form the Water Committee, she knows she’s not telling the truth. Come on all you candidate’s who took Reverge’s money; you know the real person behind the Water Committee, and it’s not The Wizard of Oz. More outright lies ! In fact I feel sympathetic towards Ms. Hobbs; how does she go home at night and face her 8 children about what she says each day.
That’s the more reason to vote for ALLEN LONG, someone we can understand and speaks the truth.
NO on Measure C & D ! Yes on Recall Crye !
Anybody who either took money from the Reverge Anselmo Front or blatantly campaigns as a MAGA should NOT be elected to office!
Hi there. Your remarks about the candidate’s number of children seem inappropriate to the topic, which is politics.
squirrel!!!
Agree NO on Measures C and D. Yes on RECALL CRYE ! He believes in election fraud, he bought the lie and wasted our money on paper balloting. FOOLISH
Laura is an outstanding candidate that will make a great supervisor. She is a patriot who will be an avid supporter of Shasta County citizens constitutional rights.
Your editor’s notes show your complete liberal bias. You should have brought your comments up during the interview so that Laura could address your comments. No wonder some conservative candidates refuse to have a one-sided interview with you.
“Your editor’s notes show your complete liberal bias. You should have brought your comments up during the interview so that Laura could address your comments. No wonder some conservative candidates refuse to have a one-sided interview with you.”
Bruce, I couldn’t agree with you more. Low Class Rag.
It’s called fact-checking, not inserting “liberal bias” into the interview. So that’s why conservative candidates refuse to be interviewed. They want to stick to their party line speaking points without being questioned by reality or honesty.
Why are editoral facts viewed as liberal bias? Because the undeniable letter and law of the land went against the common rationale and statement of the speaker?
Facts are facts. That’s a simple fact.
Well, we already have three supervisors just like her! We definitely don’t need another one!
the ignorance of both Analeise and the local liberals is they think the fed/state gov’t has the authority to rule over us and we must follow unconstitutional laws. Too bad. The brainwashing is complete. Reality is the US is a constitutional republic where the political power belongs to the “people” at the lowest level. Anyone who rejects this is a Socialist, Communist, Marxist and are treasonous in their beliefs and actions. People like Laura Hobbs talking about seizing control of our gov’ts using the US and state constitutions are badly needed NOW in order to save what is left of our country.
Hi Mr. Gallardo. How do you think so-called “treasonous citizens” should be handled by the “people”?
Great Question!
There is a reason we have 3 supervisors like her. This, overall, is a conservative county (Thank God)!
I like that America First MAGA philosophy she referred to.
This is largely due to the extreme phobia of being educated in Shasta County, I suspect leading the dim-witted to follow the dim-witted.
Less than 23% of Shasta County is college educated – and of course those without education will claim “THAT DON’T MEAN WE’RE STUPID”
Which I agree with! But what does indicate a large level of stupidity and ignorance is the fact that you are completely disconnected from reality and you have attached your entire identity to politics and in this case a certain politician, a failure of a human being, a disgrace to the United States, and an overall SCAM ARTIST who has suckered you into oblivion. He can’t save you and you can’t even save yourselves. Shameful.
Agree with Candy Rollins. The MAGA group is unbending and authoritarian in nature. I don’t what their values imposed on me or anyone else. I am for choice, for diversity and not one size of viewpoints nor lifestyles fit all. I believe President Biden overall has done a great job navigating the kitchen table issues in spite of their resistance and unwillingness to compromise. The house of representatives in D.C. is a mess and nothing can get done their because of the in-fighting among themselves. The MAGA republicans believe in the lies spouted by Trump. These folks blow up their own negotiations and the Republican party is imploding. They are trying to bring that style of politics with its divisive stance and violence here. Vote NO on anyone who professes to be MAGA. Enough is enough!!!