Local Election Results 2024
San Bernardino County flips from Blue to Red, Ramirez wins District 2, Bilderain secures a third term
While the California Secretary of State is still updating election results statewide for certain assembly and congressional races, a handful of candidates had clear victories over their opponents locally, marking the turn of a new leaf. Let’s see the results…
TWENTYNINE PALMS
Current Mayor Steven Bilderain successfully won a third term against opponent Carrie Williams in Twentynine Palms City Council District 1 with 55% of the vote while April Ramirez coasted past opponents Jim Krushat and Paul Razo with 50% of the win in District 2, making her the first woman on Council since former Mayor and Councilmember Karmolette O’Gilvie served in 2022.
Responding to a request for a written statement on the election win, Ramirez states:
First and foremost, I would like to express how humbled I am that the people in District 2 have chosen me to represent them. I do not take this honor lightly and would also like to take this time to thank Councilman Joel Klink for everything he has done for our community and his time served on the council.
I would like to thank everyone that helped me in my campaign efforts. Whether it was a vote, letting me put my signs up at your business, a kind "I believe in you," sharing my posts, praying with/for me, or showing up to an event... from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
To my family and especially my husband, "You are my lighthouse; when you come from nothing but build a happy home... you have everything." To my daughter Celine—the self proclaimed "VP of Public Affairs" for my campaign: "this is proof that you can do any thing you put your mind to. Mommy is so proud to see what you will do; you are a smart beautiful girl and you can do anything!"
This win is not a win for me; it's a win for every person who has ever had the odds stacked against them and still showed up and gave 110%! I'm excited to use my personal and professional experiences to empower and lift up 29 Palms!
JOSHUA TREE
For Joshua Basin Water District Division 3, Jane Jarlsberg defeated opponent Ryan Cherlin, while incumbent Stacy Doolittle defeated opponent Debra Truncale in Division 5.
YUCCA VALLEY
Yucca Valley Measures Y and Z both won with over 80% voter approval. Measure Y reauthorizes a ½-cent sales tax for infrastructure and road improvements, while Z designates public funding to assist with mitigation of sewer costs for locals. With no challengers against incumbents, Jeff Drozd and Dr. Robert Lombardo locked down a whopping 99% of the vote for Town Council Districts 2 and 4, respectively.
MORONGO VALLEY
Winning seats on the five-member Morongo Valley Community Service District Board of Directors are Christina Gorke and Lance Fisher with long-time Board Member Johnny Tolbert Jr. occupying the interim short-term seat.
MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Karalee Hargrove successfully challenged incumbent Robert Hamilton and Johnnie Ward, making her the new representative of MUSD Trustee Area 1, which encompasses Twentynine Palms-proper. The School Board closed applications for two open-seat appointments in Trustee Areas 2 and 3 in late October.
Responding to a request for a statement from the Desert Trumpet, Hargrove stated:
I want to sincerely thank everyone who voted and supported me. I am truly honored and humbled by the trust you’ve placed in me.
A special thank you to Robert Hamilton and Johnnie Ward for running. It takes courage to step into the public eye, and both of you deserve my deep appreciation for your willingness to serve.
As we move forward, I am committed to building morale within our district, ensuring transparency, and most importantly, working for the benefit of our students. Looking ahead, we share a common goal: to empower our students and equip them for whatever path they choose in life.
Morongo Unified School Bond Measure C, which tacks on a $32-$36 parcel tax to annual property tax rolls for school district upgrades, passed with 59% approval. The measure needed 55% to pass to secure the voter-approval threshold.
COPPER MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT MEMBER, GOVERNING BOARD AREA 3
For Copper Mountain College Board District 3, incumbent Mary Lombardo defeated challenger Terence Latimer, securing 71% of the vote as of 4 pm on November 6.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ELECTION BREAKDOWN
For the first time in a long time, and after many election cycles of teetering on the edge, San Bernardino County officially flipped from BLUE to RED this presidential election cycle, with Donald Trump securing 51.06% of votes and Kamala Harris securing 46.45% locally. Compared to the 2020 presidential election, San Bernardino County voter turnout was unexpectedly low this round with a meager 36% voter turnout. In terms of historical voting trends, this is rare as voter turnout tends to be high in presidential election years.
With short-term rentals being a hot topic locally, countywide transient occupancy tax (TOT) Measure K was on the ballot, which would have increased the County TOT tax rate from 7% to 11%. Guests in unincorporated Joshua Tree can breathe a small sigh of relief as this measure failed to meet the required voter approval for passage, being defeated with 56% of voters against increasing the TOT. Currently, the San Bernardino County TOT is collected into the County’s General Fund budget and is not designated for specific use locally.
Measure L, dubbed “The San Bernardino County Law Enforcement Staffing and Community Protection Act,” which increases pay of elected county officials to match the base salaries of county officials in much larger and wealthier counties such as Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and San Diego counties, passed with 62.74% of County voters approving. Voters also chose former District 5 County Supervisor Josie Gonzalez as their new County Assessor.
Statewide Propositions
Proposition 3, which instills in the California Constitution the right to same-sex marriage and repeals the controversially voter-approved Proposition 8 of 2008, was overwhelmingly approved by the California electorate by nearly 3:1 margins, with 60% of California voters in favor of the ballot prop.
Proposition 36, which bumps up certain retail theft crimes and drug possession charges from misdemeanors to felonies, was also approved with a sweeping 70% voter approval, less than eleven years after California voters approved Proposition 47 in 2014, which rescinded the California three-strikes law for felonies.
Proposition 32, which would have raised the California minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026, failed with 52% of California voters voting against the minimum wage increase. Currently, California has the second highest statewide minimum wage in the nation at $16.00 per hour, just behind Washington state’s $16.28 per hour.
Proposition 33, a statewide rent control measure, failed by 60%, which would have repealed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. Passed by the California electorate in 1995, the legislation established rent-increase protections for landlords and property owners of single family residential buildings constructed after 1995. Legislation to repeal Costa-Hawkins has been featured and notoriously defeated on statewide ballots over the years by various housing advocacy groups. Proposition 33, if passed, would have expanded rent control authority to cities and municipal entities, allotting them more powers to establish certain rent-control policies locally1.
The San Bernardino County Clerk has until December 3rd to certify election results countywide. Follow the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters for more election updates to come.
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A 2021 study based on 2020 U.S. Census results concluded that approximately 70% of the housing units in Twentynine Palms are occupied by renters, exceeding local averages.