Voters in Shasta County have moved to end a five-year experiment with MAGA-aligned local government, ousting two prominent hard-right officials and pushing the county’s Board of Supervisors back toward the center-right.
In the June 2 primary, voters defeated Supervisor Kevin W. Crye and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis. Supervisor Chris Kellstrom also advanced to the general election behind a moderate challenger. Even if Kellstrom wins in November, the results mark a sharp reversal in one of California’s strongest Trump-supporting counties.
“People have seen the result of a MAGA-led government, whether it’s on a national level or a local level,” said former Supervisor Mary Rickert, a lifelong Republican. “They are seeing the consequences of putting people in positions they are not qualified (for).”
Shasta County became a national model for grassroots conservative activism after opposition to COVID-19 restrictions helped unite militia members, secessionists, business owners, Moms for Liberty activists and election skeptics. Wealthy donors and special interests backed candidates who promised to confront what they described as an entrenched administrative establishment.
Once in power, the new majority removed or drove out senior county officials, including the chief executive, public health officer, election administrator, and county attorneys. Their replacements included less-experienced appointees and outspoken figures who pledged to investigate voter fraud and resist state mandates. Scores of county workers also left.
“That tide has reversed with this latest election,” said political consultant Robb Korinke.
Crye became the board’s most influential and combative member after his 2022 election. His tenure included controversies over an elections commission, political appointments, and a casino agreement with the Redding Rancheria.
A judge later ruled the casino deal “illegal” after a lawsuit challenged the county’s approval process. Rickert, who cast the lone vote against the agreement, put the county’s losses at more than $200 million. Korinke called the episode a turning point.
“It’s a real ‘mask off’ moment in the county,” he said. “It was flabbergasting. … That’s not fiscal conservatism.” Crye narrowly survived a 2024 recall by 50 votes, but his political support weakened. This month, Redding City Council member Erin Resner defeated him by more than 1,400 votes, winning 54% to Crye’s 38%. “This was a flag-in-the-ground moment,” Resner said. “I think people are done with the charade and the chaos.”
Curtis, meanwhile, lost to former assistant registrar Joanna Francescut. He has not conceded. The outgoing registrar had sought additional funds to print ballots in-house and had recently questioned the current mailing process, despite ballots being produced by a county vendor and distributed through the U.S. Postal Service.
The political shift comes as residents confront rising costs, health-care shortages and possible reductions in food and medical assistance under federal policy changes. County legal expenses also climbed sharply during the hard-right board’s tenure, reaching $26 million in 2023-24, compared with $7 million or less in each of the three years before the 2022 takeover.
Local nonprofit leader Kimberly L. Johnson said the effects extended beyond politics, weakening cooperation between county government and organizations serving vulnerable residents.
“The carnage that has been left in its wake … the truth is it’s destabilized a region,” she said. Rickert said rebuilding will require new leaders to review past decisions and restore confidence in county government. “I want Shasta County to resume its reputation as a stable and stellar county,” she said.