Clute Likely on Top by a Squeak

In one of the Inland Empire’s most intense primary races, former Assemblyman Steve Clute appears to have snagged the 80th Assembly District’s Democratic nomination Tuesday in a squeaker over Ron Oden, the popular mayor of Palm Springs.

Oden did not concede Wednesday, however, because more than 4,000 outstanding provisional, absentee and paper ballots had yet to be counted.

“I knew that it would be close,” Oden said.

If Clute hangs onto his 253-vote advantage, he’ll take on GOP incumbent Bonnie Garcia in November.

Garcia, seeking a third term, is something of an anomaly in a largely Democratic district. Imperial County, with a primarily Latino population and a below-average median income, is the most Democratic in the state, with 55.48% of registered voters.

The fast-growing district covers eastern Riverside County, including Indio and La Quinta, and all of Imperial County.

Oden fared well in the Coachella Valley, his home territory, but Clute surged ahead of the former clergyman and college professor in rural Imperial County, which borders Mexico.

The publicity Oden received for being an openly gay, black politician may have been a liability there, said Bill Gudelunas, a professor of history and government at the College of the Desert in Palm Desert and at Cal State San Bernardino’s campus there.

Oden instead chalks up the tight race, in part, to his support of Wal-Mart in Palm Springs, which prompted union leaders to turn their backs on him and withhold key endorsements. Imperial County is also alien terrain for the mayor, who entered the race just three months ago, while Clute had been campaigning since August.

“We knew we had a challenge in the geographic area, because it’s a huge district,” said Oden campaign advisor Hal Ball.

Oden said he would not request a recount if the remaining ballots ultimately favored Clute, and would back Clute as the Democratic challenger to Garcia.

“If it was just about Riverside County, I probably would have lost this,” said Clute, who describes himself as more moderate than Oden.

Clute, a 10-year veteran of the Assembly, said Garcia had kept an arm’s length from constituents and missed key votes. His 1994 run against Rep. Sonny Bono failed, as did a 1996 Assembly run against Jim Battin.

Oden also lost to Bono -- Mary Bono, that is -- in a run for her late husband’s seat in 2000. The former Palm Springs councilman has pushed for expanded educational opportunities for desert children, local job creation and environmental protections, especially at the ailing Salton Sea.

In spite of the Democratic Party’s solid voter advantage over the GOP in the district, Garcia remains strong in the region because fewer registered Democrats vote, Gudelunas said.

“It really doesn’t matter to me which one of them wins,” Garcia said, sounding confident of her reelection. “My community cares about problem-solving. They don’t care about the donkeys and the elephants. That’s for the strategists up in Sacramento.”

As one of California’s few districts up for grabs, the 80th will probably attract plenty of state Democratic Party money for the November race, Gudelunas said.

Across the rest of Riverside County, expected favorites cruised to reelection with a paltry 21% turnout: Sheriff Bob Doyle earned a second term in a 72% landslide; Supervisor Marion Ashley also advanced to a second term managing the county’s central district; and former county GOP head Kevin Jeffries will face Democrat Laurel Nicholson for the 66th Assembly District seat, which includes part of San Diego County.

Supervisors John Tavaglione and Roy Wilson were unopposed, along with newly elected Dist. Atty. Rod Pacheco, who was the No. 2 man in the office and a former assemblyman.

In San Bernardino County, with roughly the same low turnout, Supervisor Bill Postmus outdistanced incumbent Donald E. Williamson by 13 percentage points in a nasty race for county assessor. Neither garnered a majority and will face off again in November.

Barstow’s closely watched Indian gambling measure, which would have effectively killed a controversial plan for side-by-side casinos in the desert town, was rejected by 80% of those voting. Still, Councilman Paul Luellig, among the measure’s opponents, was recalled over the issue by a slim margin, with Steven C. Curran taking his place.

San Bernardino voters narrowly refused their City Council members’ request for a raise -- from $50 to $1,550 a month -- for the second time in four years.

And Yucca Valley Mayor Paul J. Cook squeaked out a win in a crowded Republican primary for the 65th Assembly District, pitting him against Democrat Rita Ramirez-Dean.