Morongo Basin Elected Offices: Who Is Running? What Offices Still Need Candidates?
Morongo Basin Elected Offices: Who Is Running? What Offices Still Need Candidates?
Our update of the Water Districts, School Boards, and More list
Correction: Yesterday’s Planning Commission agenda headline misstated the date of the next meeting. The correct date is Tuesday, August 6 (not August 8 as stated in the headline).
The August 9 deadline for filing to run for elected offices in the Morongo Basin is almost here! Yet several incumbents are running unopposed and some offices don’t have any candidates at all. Here’s your chance to jump in the race and serve your community!
Seats at the Copper Mountain Community College District, the Morongo Unified School District Board, the Twentynine Palms Water District, the Joshua Basin Water District, Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care District and Yucca Valley Airport District need candidates.
Information on how to throw your hat in the ring can be found on the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters’ website, including important deadlines and a useful Candidate Filing Guide.1
Contact the Candidate Filing Clerk at the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters Office for candidacy documents if you’re interested in running for boards and districts by following the links above or call the county clerk at (909) 387-8300.
See our comprehensive list below for all the details on who’s running and which seats are waiting for you to fill them! Information is current as of Friday afternoon, August 2.
CITY AND TOWN COUNCILS
CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS, MEMBER, CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICTS 1 AND 2
Two positions on the Twentynine Palms City Council are on the ballot: Districts 1 and 2, currently served by Mayor Steven Bilderain and Mayor Pro Tem Joel Klink.
TOWN OF YUCCA VALLEY, MEMBER, TOWN COUNCIL, DISTRICTS 2 AND 4
Two districts of the five-member council are up for grabs this year, currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Drozd and Mayor Robert Lombardo.
The final verified list of candidates will not be available until after the Aug 8 filing deadline. The Desert Trumpet published an article about the potential Twentynine Palms City Council candidates earlier this week.
SCHOOL BOARDS AND DISTRICTS
COPPER MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, MEMBER, GOVERNING BOARD
Four positions on the Governing Board will be on the ballot, all with potential incumbents currently serving in areas 1, 2, 3 and 5. Areas 1, 2 and 3 have four-year terms. Area 5 is a two-year term. Here’s who’s filed:
Area 1: Dick Rogers (Incumbent)
Area 2: Tyler Lee Fowlkes
Area 3: Mary E. Lombardo (Incumbent), Terence C. Latimer
Area 5: Needs candidate
Members represent specific areas, so be sure to check the map before you file or use the County District Look-Up tool. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, MEMBER, BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT E
The San Bernardino Board of Education has five members, representing districts throughout the county. The Morongo Basin is part of District E, currently served by board member Andrea De Leon. Here’s who’s filed:
District E: Andrea DeLeon (Incumbent); Neal Alfred Waner
Use the District E map or use the County District Look-Up tool to ensure you are in District E. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, MEMBER, GOVERNING BOARD
Seats in areas 1, 2, 3 are up for election on the five-member board. The term is four years. Here’s who’s filed:
Area 1: Karalee Hargrove, Johnnie Ray Ward, Jr.
Area 2: Needs candidate
Area 3: Amber Christina Joy Willis
Use the County District Look-Up tool to determine your district. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
WATER AGENCIES AND DISTRICTS
BIGHORN-DESERT VIEW WATER AGENCY, MEMBERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Three positions are up for grabs on the board—two are for a four-year term, one is for a two-year term. Positions are “at large,” meaning there are no districts, but candidates must be a registered voter in the area the agency serves. Here’s who’s filed:
Position 1, regular term: David Chapman (Incumbent)
Position 2, regular term: Megan Close (Incumbent)
Position 3, short term: William Aldridge (Incumbent)
The Bighorn-Desert View district encompasses parts of Landers, Johnson Valley, and Flamingo Heights as shown in this map. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
TWENTYNINE PALMS WATER DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
There are three positions up for election on the five-person board. This is another at-large position, but candidates must live within the district’s 87-square-mile boundaries in Twentynine Palms and Desert Heights. Terms are four years. Here’s who has filed:
Position 1: Michael Arthur (Incumbent)
Position 2: Amy Woods (Incumbent)
Position 3: Needs candidate
JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Seats are up for election in Divisions 2, 3, 4, and 5 on the five-member board. Generally Directors serve for a four-year term; however the Division 2 seat is a two-year term.
Division 2: Needs candidate
Division 3: Jane E. Jarlsberg (Incumbent)
Division 4: Thomas Floen (Incumbent)
Division 5: Needs candidate
This water board elects directors by district throughout the Joshua Tree area, so check the map here for your area or use the County District Look-Up tool to determine your division. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
HI-DESERT WATER DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Divisions 2 and 4 are up for election this cycle. The term is four years. This water agency is also a special district, formed to meet the needs of the burgeoning population of Yucca Valley and neighboring unincorporated areas.
Division 2: Scot McKone (Incumbent)
Division 4: Bob Stadum (Incumbent)
Directors are elected by division, so check the map or use the County District Look-Up tool to determine your division. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
OTHER DISTRICTS
HI-DESERT MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Divisions 1, 2, and 3 and one at-large position are at play in 2024. The term is four years, with the at-large position being a two-year term this cycle. The Health Care District is also a special district, formed specifically to meet the healthcare needs of our rural community.
Division 1: Dianne Markle-Greenhouse (Incumbent)
Division 2: Patricia Cooper (Incumbent)
Division 3: Needs candidate
Short term, at large: Heidi Stiemsma (Incumbent)
The three divisions cover Yucca Valley, Homestead Valley, Morongo Valley, and adjacent unincorporated areas. Check the map for your division. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
YUCCA VALLEY AIRPORT DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Three at-large positions are open on this five-member board charged with managing airport facilities and events.
Position 1: Timothy Lewis (Incumbent)
Position 2: Eric Aumont (Incumbent)
Position 3: Needs candidate
Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
MORONGO VALLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT, MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The San Bernardino County list indicates that all five director positions are on the ballot with two seats being four-year terms and three seats being two-year terms. However, the District website differs and states that two director seats are not due for election until December 2026. Enquire with the County prior to running.
Position 1: Johnny Tolbert, Jr. (Incumbent)
Position 2: Christina Gorlee (Incumbent)
Position 3: Needs candidate
Position 4: Needs candidate
Position 5: Needs candidate
Candidates must reside in the district. Call the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 to arrange for an appointment to file papers.
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Information for this document is compiled from Government Compensation in California, The San Bernardino County list of Offices up for Election, the web pages of the individual entities and the 2020 guide compiled by Deborah Dunaway for the Democrats of the Morongo Basin.