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Literal Dead Guy Leading In Too Close To Call California Election
Bruce Giudici is leading a close Calaveras County Board of Supervisors race in California, despite dying before election day. His campaign continued after his death, saying it wanted to complete his mission and prevent his opponent from returning to the board.
Giudici has 56.99 per cent of the vote, compared with Clyde Clapp’s 43.01 per cent, a gap of 486 votes. Hundreds of ballots remain unprocessed and could change the result; if Giudici wins, Governor Gavin Newsom would appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a successor is formally elected.
In short
- Bruce Giudici leads the race despite dying in August.
- He holds 56.99 per cent, 486 votes ahead.
- Unprocessed ballots could still change the result.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Giudici’s campaign could be seen as a legitimate continuation of the work he had set out to do, with voters able to support his record and priorities even though he had died. If he wins, the temporary appointment and a later election provide a route to fill the vacancy while respecting the result of this contest.
The case against
A vote for a candidate who has died cannot give that person a mandate to serve, and the campaign’s stated aim of preventing Clapp’s return may leave voters without a clear choice about who would actually represent them. The appointment process could also give the governor substantial influence over an office that voters expected to decide, making a fresh election a more direct way to establish a living representative’s mandate.