California county supervisor candidate leads race two months after he died

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A Northern California candidate for county supervisor is leading the race despite passing away two months before the election.

Bruce Giudici is currently leading opponent Clyde Clapp in the race for the District 5 Board of Supervisor seat in Calaveras County, according to the current results.

Giudici has 1,982 votes, or 57 percent, to Clapp’s 1,496 votes, or 43 percent. 

There are still 322 ballots left to be counted in the county, with another 340 “left to cure” — meaning the ballots either lacked a signature or didn’t match the ones the county had on file, KCRA reported. It is unclear if any of those ballots are from District 5.

Giudici was running for the seat when he fell on a steep driveway while campaigning on August 31, according to his website.

“Bruce recently passed away unexpectedly after succumbing to injuries sustained from a fall while campaigning door-to-door,” the message read.

“Bruce was on a mission to bring real leadership to District 5 ensuring your hard earned tax dollars are not wasted.

“Bruce was beloved by many. His passing has been met with an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy for the loss to his family, community, co-workers and organizations he supported through tireless dedication over the years.”

If Giudici ends up winning the election, a replacement candidate will be chosen to fill the spot by California’s governor-elect, Xavier Becerra, according to the campaign.

“If Bruce is elected, when the current Supervisor’s term ends in January, the vacancy will be temporarily filled by appointment of an interim Supervisor by the newly elected Governor (NOT Gavin Newsom) to serve until an election can be held to elect a new Supervisor,” a message on his website read.

Carrie Biggs-Adams, a volunteer with the campaign, said it was a “very complicated decision” and “emotional one” to keep campaigning for him. 

She said, in the end, volunteers decided they wanted to “finish his mission.”

“We just really appreciate the people who trusted us that a good person would come forward and be a better alternative as their district five supervisor,” Biggs-Adams told KCRA.

 “And we appreciate their support and their trust and now will help make sure somebody good is selected.”

His campaign’s social media posts are filled with messages showing supporters encouraging others to vote for Bruce even after his passing.

“I feel it’s important to follow Bruce’s mission to have an ethical and qualified representative for District 5, that’s why I’m voting for Bruce Giudici,” one supporter wrote.

The California Post reached out to Clapp’s campaign for comment.

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