by David Lindfield
A California candidate who died more than two months ago is currently leading a race for the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors after his campaign urged voters to continue casting ballots in his name.
Bruce Giudici died August 31 after falling while door-knocking.
Yet, he holds 56.99% of the vote in the District 5 contest despite having been dead since late summer.
His opponent, Clyde Clapp, has received 43.01% of the vote.
Giudici’s lead stands at 486 votes.
However, hundreds of ballots remain unprocessed and could still narrow or erase the margin.
Campaign Continued After Giudici’s Death
Giudici died just two weeks before his 69th birthday.
Rather than withdrawing his name from the race, campaign volunteers continued their effort and encouraged Calaveras County residents to vote for him.
“It was a very complicated decision to decide to keep going and an emotional one,” campaign volunteer Carrie Biggs-Adams told KCRA.
“We felt very strongly that Bruce had wanted to do this, and that was his mission and our goal was to finish his mission.”
Giudici’s campaign said he had been committed to preventing Clapp from returning to the Board of Supervisors.
After his death, the campaign said:
“Bruce was a man who cared deeply about Calaveras County and believed District 5 deserved honest, ethical, accountable leadership.
“Bruce was passionate about preventing Clyde Clapp from returning to the Board of Supervisors.”
Newsom Would Choose Replacement if Giudici Wins