New Shasta Election Official’s Campaign Documents Show Late Filing, Politically Connected Treasurer

“You should donate!”

On May 24, newly-appointed Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters (ROV) Clint Curtis suggested a Shasta Scout reporter donate to his campaign. His comment came moments after he told a crowd of about 75 gathered at a private “town hall” at the Redding Library that he needed their money to help him defeat his opponent, Joanna Francescut, next year. 

At the time, Francescut was his right-hand staffer at the election office. He fired her a few days later. 

“I hate to ask for your money every five minutes,” Curtis told those gathered at the library, “but I’m going to be asking for your money every five minutes.”

As he spoke, Curtis held a document with a QR code linking to his campaign website. That website has since been taken down. Curtis did not reply to a request for comment on why the website is no longer active.  

Both Curtis and Francescut have announced they’re running to become Shasta County’s next top election official. The position will appear on voters’ ballots next summer, during the June 2026 primary. Francescut announced her plans to run for the position on May 13, just hours after she was passed over for the appointed ROV role by a majority of supervisors who chose Curtis instead. Francescut filed the required documentation for fundraising six weeks earlier, on March 28.

Curtis announced his candidacy informally as part of the town hall on May 24, four days after officially starting his role as Shasta’s new ROV. Both candidates are soliciting funds and both have filed the required campaign paperwork, but Curtis did so late, at least nine days after beginning to solicit campaign funds.

As a first-time candidate in California, Curtis is required to comply with the state’s specific procedures regarding candidacy and campaigning. How well he knows that law, and how committed he is to following it, is particularly important because of his role as ROV in helping to monitor campaign filing compliance for other local candidates. 

Campaign filings are regulated by the Fair Political Practices Commission, which oversees the requirements of California’s Political Reform Act. FPPC Communications Director Shery Yang told Shasta Scout by email last week that under California law, registrars of voters like Curtis are among those who help monitor the filling of appropriate and timely campaign forms. 

There are a variety of required local campaign documents in California, including the form 501 which must be filed with the local election office prior to soliciting or raising any funds for a campaign. Information included on that form says the document is “considered filed the day it is postmarked or hand delivered.” A 501 form for Curtis’ campaign shows the form was dropped off at the Shasta Election Office on June 2, more than a week after he publicly raised funds at the town hall. Curtis did not reply to a request for comment asking about the late filing.

According to official Shasta Election Office records, Curtis’ campaign also filed another form on June 2, the 410, which is required before raising more than $2,000. The 410 was filed under a committee titled, “Elect Clint Curtis County Clerk 2026.” No filings have yet been made about who has donated to Curtis’ campaign but Curtis campaign paperwork includes the name of his campaign treasurer, Lyndia Kent, a local political activist who’s helped significantly shift Shasta County’s board over recent years. 

Under the auspices of a series of three political action committees (PACs), Lyndia Kent and her brother Mark Kent (who also owns Mountain Top Media) funneled millions of dollars in campaign contributions from wealthy east coast donor Reverge Anselmo into local elections. That funding backed the recall of former supervisor Leonard Moty and the campaigns of a number of Shasta County candidates since 2021 including former supervisor Patrick Jones, Supervisor Chris Kelstrom and Board Chair Kevin Crye.

Crye and Kelstrom both voted for Curtis’ appointment to the ROV position last month, despite the fact that he’s never lived in Shasta and never worked in an election office. In contrast, Supervisors Long and Matt Plummer strongly opposed Curtis’ selection, citing among other things his lack of experience and a number of inconsistencies on his application materials. For example, Curtis’ failure to name his current position on his job application, a role as a public defender in upstate New York. 

As ROV, Curtis will oversee the June 2026 primary for which he will be a candidate. Crye also plans to run for office in that election, based on paperwork filed on April 14 as the board was recruiting for the new ROV position. He has not formally announced his candidacy. Kelstrom has not yet filed paperwork or announced whether he intends to run next year. 

PACs run by Mark and/or Lyndia Kent have included the Liberty Committee, the Shasta General Purpose Committee and the Water Users Committee which also supported the campaign of failed candidate for supervisor turned election activist, Laura Hobbs whose lawsuit against the election office was used by other activists to help support the hiring of Curtis and the firing of Francescut.

Mark and Lyndia Kent are also co-hosts of the radio show Sovereign Minds and the registered agent and chief financial officer on 2024 filing documents for the State of Jefferson, a secessionist movement.

In response to questions, FPPC Communications Director Yang shared links to the Commission’s enforcement policies including the method by which the public can formally report concerns about violations of FPPC law. The FPPC enforces against a number of violations including late filings and failures to file. 

Last fall the FPPC levied a fine of $10,000 against former supervisor Patrick Jones and his campaign treasurer, also Lyndia Kent, for not reporting donations of $100 or more and not keeping adequate records of those donations. The charges stemmed from contributions for Jones’ campaign for state assembly in 2019.

Jones was the host of the May 24 town hall where Curtis fundraised before filing the required paperwork. As a Shasta Scout reporter spoke with Curtis right after the event, a community member approached Curtis with a fistful of cash and a handwritten note. 

“We can’t take cash”, Curtis told them, before directing them to someone at the back of the room.

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