In California\u2019s primary election<\/a>, which wrapped up Tuesday, June 2, \u201cthe IE went firmly back to being a swing county,\u201d Marcia Godwin, a professor of public administration at the University of La Verne, said via email.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was almost like the Proposition 50 special election never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Votes are still being counted and outcomes could change, but patterns are emerging.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at some of them.<\/p>\n Bianco\u2019s backyard boost<\/p>\n Republican and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco<\/a> came up short in his bid to be California\u2019s next governor. He\u2019s currently in fourth behind Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer in statewide results<\/a> as of Friday, June 5.<\/p>\n But the outspoken sheriff, who promised to shake up Sacramento, is having a better showing among Inland voters. Going into Friday, he led the field with 27.5% of the vote in Riverside County and 21.87% of the vote in San Bernardino County \u2014 enough to finish third behind Hilton and Becerra.<\/p>\n Bianco also is outperforming his statewide margin \u2014 11.2% of the vote as of Friday morning \u2014 in the Inland Empire.<\/p>\n Calvert survives \u2014 again<\/p>\n Legend has it Grigori Rasputin<\/a> survived cyanide and beatings in frustrating repeated attempts to kill him.<\/p>\n Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, has nothing in common with the 20th century Russian mystic. But the Inland Empire\u2019s longest-serving congressmember shows an exceptional ability to withstand whatever Democrats throw at him.<\/p>\n Early decade redistricting forced Calvert, who\u2019s been in Congress for three decades, to run in a purple district that included deep-blue and LGBTQ-friendly Palm Springs. <\/a>Calvert, who once opposed same-sex marriage, withstood two well-funded challenges from Democrat Will Rollins, who preached a moderate message to win swing voters.<\/p>\n Proposition 50 obliterated Calvert\u2019s district<\/a>, forcing him to wage a bitter fight<\/a> with fellow GOP incumbent Young Kim for a red seat spanning Riverside and Orange counties<\/a>.<\/p>\n Results so far have Calvert well ahead and on track to make the November general election.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, Democrats appear to be locked out<\/a> of the 40th Congressional District, with Kim in second and Democrat Esther Kim-Varet in third.<\/p>\n Shaw highlights conservative wins<\/p>\n In a deep-blue state, the Inland Empire is an oasis of sorts for right-of-center Californians. Just ask Sonja Shaw.<\/p>\n The conservative president of the Chino Valley school board is one step closer to becoming state superintendent of public instruction. She leads a 10-candidate field<\/a> in a primary that included a former Assembly speaker, a current assembly member and an ex-state senator.<\/p>\n Shaw will likely face San Diego school board President Richard Barrera in November. With labor unions and Democrats rallying around Becerra, she has her work cut out for her in trying to become the first Republican since 2006 to win statewide office in California.<\/p>\n Inland Republicans had other reasons to celebrate beyond Shaw.<\/p>\n Michelle Paradise, a Riverside County official and former prosecutor who was endorsed by Bianco and other local Republicans, is winning a competitive race for Riverside Superior Court judge.<\/p>\n Julie Vandegrift, a member of the Murrieta school board\u2019s previous conservative majority, is ahead<\/a> in her bid to win back her seat. And\u00a0 Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, is slightly ahead of Democrat Clarissa Cervantes<\/a> in a blue-leaning Inland district where while both candidates are guaranteed to advance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very pleased with the performance of Republican candidates throughout the Inland Empire in this primary election,\u201d San Bernardino County Republican Party Chairman Phil Cothran said via email.<\/p>\n \u201cThese results demonstrate that Inland Empire voters continue to respond to a message focused on public safety, affordability, government accountability and economic opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Sales tax measures rejected<\/p>\n Pitches to raise sales tax rates in several Inland cities didn\u2019t add up for voters.<\/p>\n In Riverside, Measure Z, which would raise the city\u2019s sales tax from 1 cent to 1.25 cents to raise $21 million for public safety and other services, was losing<\/a> with 59% of voters opposed.<\/p>\n Loma Linda\u2019s Measure X, which would boost the city\u2019s sales tax by 1%, also trailed<\/a> in the latest results. It wasn\u2019t a sales tax increase, but Measure A, a $256 million bond to upgrade and repair schools in the Bonita Unified School District covering La Verne, San Dimas and parts of Glendora, is losing.<\/p>\n However, Perris\u2019 Measure B, which sought a 1% sales-tax increase, is winning with 60% of the vote. The city declared a fiscal emergency<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n Mixed results for incumbents<\/p>\n When it comes to holding elected office, it\u2019s better to be in county government \u2014 at least in this Inland primary.<\/p>\n Sitting supervisors in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, along with San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus<\/a>, Riverside County Assessor\/County Clerk\/Recorder Peter Aldana<\/a> and other county-level incumbents level easily won reelection.<\/p>\n The exception? San Bernardino County Auditor-Controller\/Treasurer\/Tax Collector Ensen Mason, who trails challenger Ryan Hutchison<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a rockier road for Inland Empire city council members.<\/p>\n While current San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran will likely be reelected<\/a>, San Bernardino City Councilmembers Theodore Sanchez, Sandra Ibarra and Fred Shorett were all trailing as of Friday<\/a>, although Shorett will likely be the only incumbent to make a November runoff.<\/p>\n In Loma Linda, Councilmember Ron Dailey trailed Amy Jones<\/a>. Riverside Councilmember Chuck Conder led going into Thursday but was just short of the margin<\/a> needed to avoid a November runoff.<\/p>\n Supervisors get what they want<\/p>\n The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors won the primary in more ways than one.<\/p>\n Besides Jesse Armendarez and Curt Hagman winning four more years on the board, Mason is losing.<\/p>\n In February, the board opened an investigation into Mason<\/a> at the request of several members of the public. Mason denied wrongdoing, and the investigation report was not released before the election<\/a>, effectively letting questions about him linger as voters cast ballots.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time in recent years that an election worked out for supervisors.<\/p>\n In 2022, they put a provocative question on the November ballot \u2014 should San Bernardino County potentially secede from California?<\/p>\n Measure EE argued that the county might not be getting its \u201cfair share\u201d<\/a> from Sacramento and Washington. It was the sort of measure that appealed to skeptics of big government, who found another ballot measure waiting for them that year<\/a> in Measure D.<\/p>\n That measure\u2019s wording made it seem like it would lower the term limits cap on supervisors along with imposing a more rigorous salary cap. In fact, it increased the amount of time they could spend in office and paid them more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Measure D passed with more than 58% of the vote.<\/p>\n![\"Republican](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/OCR-L-ELX-GOVERNOR-0603-08-WL-1.jpg\")
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco greets supporters Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at an election night event in Eastvale. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin\/SCNG)<\/p>\n![\"Reps.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Calvert-Kim-Panel.jpg\")
Reps. Ken Calvert, R-Corona and Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills are on track to face each other in the November general election for California\u2019s 40th Congressional District (Calvert file photo by Tom Williams, Getty Images; Kim file photo by J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press)<\/p>\n![\"Chino](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sut-l-sspi-shaw-01.jpg\")
Chino Valley Unified School District board President Sonja Shaw is set to face San Diego school board President Richard Barrera in the November 2026 general election for state superintendent of public instruction. (Courtesy of Shaw campaign)<\/p>\n![\"Rancho](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SBS-L-ELEX-SBCOUNTY-ATC.jpg\")
Rancho Cucamonga Councilmember Ryan Hutchison, left, is beating incumbent Ensen Mason in the race for San Bernardino County auditor-controller\/treasurer\/tax collector. (Courtesy of Ryan Hutchison, San Bernardino County)<\/p>\n