Re “Is the Race for City Clerk as Onesided as It Seems?”

Dateline Carson – After three months of hype:

The Most Fascinating Municipal Race North of the Azores uncorks tomorrow.

The hardy voters of Carson are being asked to uncurl an unorthodox jigsaw.

They will decide whether to retain demure Donesia Gause as city clerk or replace her with a one-man marching band-cheer squad, longtime Mayor Jim Dear.

Nobody in the history of hometowns may ever have grown overwrought worrying who was going to be the next city clerk.

Did anyone ever hear of a city clerk being ousted?

Did anyone ever hear of a city clerk being mentioned on Election Day?

“Every time I run, I get a higher vote total,” Mr. Dear tells the newspaper. “That is a good sign.”

He started counting the elections he has won:

“ ’91, ’94, ’95, ’98,  2001, 2004, 2005, 2008 (recall attempt, charging “Mayor Dear did not support senior citizens, did not live in Carson, did not support the youths”), 2009, 2013.”

Donesia Gause

By California law, Mr. Dear noted, accusations in recall attempts do not have to be true. Critics just must meet the criteria for signed names.

“Senior citizens are a big part of Carson,” the mayor said. “They love me. Second point, 50 of my neighbors were set to testify I am their neighbor in Carson. Third point, I am the biggest supporter of youth programs in the city of Carson. What they said in the petition was untrue. But the law does not require truth.”

Elected to the Carson City Council in 2001, which some critics did think was a space odyssey, Mr. Dear was elected mayor three years later by voters.

Not many Jim Dears around the country.