Riverside County Third District Supervisor Jeff Stone announced his candidacy for the new 28th state Senate district. This will be the first election for a senator representing this district.
Prior to the 2010 Census, Idyllwild’s state senator was Bill Emmerson. But the redistricting process placed Idyllwild in a new district with no incumbent senator. In November 2012, the state’s odd-numbered districts elected senators. Consequently, the 28th District remained unrepresented.
In November 2014, a senator will be elected to represent the district whose eastern edge is the Colorado River, continues west incorporating the desert cities, south of San Jacinto and Hemet, west through French Valley, Temecula, Murrieta and north to Corona.
Stone, a Republican, represents a large portion of the district on the Board of Supervisors.
Two other Republican candidates have announced intentions to run for this seat. Bonnie Garcia, former Assembly member from the 80th District from 2002 through 2008, and Glenn Miller, an Indio councilman since 2008, have already established campaign committees.
As of June 30, Garcia had collected about $105,000 for the campaign and Miller has reported a fund of about $90,000. Although Stone had not yet reported any campaign funds with the California Secretary of State’s office, he had two active campaign funds in Riverside County, whose balances totaled about $25,000.
California’s “Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act,” which took effect January 2011, created “voter-nominated” offices. Consequently, the results of the June 3, 2014 primary will likely pit two of these three Republicans in the November 2014 election for the 28th District’s first senator.
“Our state government is broken and no longer serves the needs of California’s citizens,” Stone said in a press release announcing his candidacy. ”We cannot keep trying the same things over and over again, and expect a different result. We need new ideas and new energy in Sacramento and a representative willing to shake up the status quo and do what’s right for the state and its people.
“I am proud of my many accomplishments that have enhanced the quality of life of Riverside County’s citizens. I announced in my last election it would be my last as a county supervisor … a self-imposed term limit,” he continued. “I will have accomplished all of my goals as a county supervisor once my Wine Country Plan is approved, and the funding and design of our new mid-county hub jail, that meets the needs of our sheriff and consideration of Coachella Valley residents, is complete.”
In 2010, Stone ran for a Senate seat, which extended into San Diego, but lost to incumbent Joel Anderson.
