| Background |
- Chair of the California State Board of Equalization, First District. Elected November 2018, took office January 2019, reelected 2022; now term-limited and ineligible to seek reelection to the Board.
- Twelve years in the California Legislature: State Assembly, 4th District (2006–2011) and State Senate, 1st District (2011–2019).
- Six years on the Placer County Board of Supervisors (elected 2000, reelected 2004) and two years on the Roseville Planning Commission (appointed 1997).
- Owner of Gaines Insurance, based in Roseville, for more than 30 years.
- Campaign states he and his wife moved to El Dorado County about a decade ago and built their Shingle Springs home about five years ago.
- Ballot designation: “Taxpayer Advocate.” Describes himself as a conservative; the District 4 supervisor seat is nonpartisan.
- Declined the League of Women Voters of El Dorado County District 4 candidate forum (April 30, 2026); the other three candidates participated.
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- District 4 resident for more than 20 years, living in Rescue and Shingle Springs.
- More than 40 years of business and executive leadership experience, including Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and several startups.
- Computer Science degree, Illinois Institute of Technology; MBA, Santa Clara University.
- Served two terms on the El Dorado County Civil Grand Jury (2021–2023), including one term as foreperson pro tem.
- Alternate public member commissioner, El Dorado LAFCO. Board member, Shingle Springs Community Center. Director, Taxpayers’ Association of El Dorado County. Greater Cameron Park Fire Safe Council.
- Founded the Sierrama Firewise Community in 2022 and chairs it.
- Also active with the county’s Community Economic Development Advisory Committee, the Divide Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Cameron Park and Women’s Fund El Dorado.
- Ballot designation: “Community Advocate.” No prior elected office.
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| Key Priorities |
- Public safety: fully fund the Sheriff’s Office and first responders, and ensure rural EMS and fire services have resources to respond.
- Taxpayer advocacy: oppose tax increases, defend Proposition 13, address Proposition 19 impacts on families and ranchers, and help residents with assessment disputes.
- Rural character: protect farmland, open space and small-town values from overdevelopment.
- Business climate: reduce regulation and remove government barriers to small business.
- Frames the race around experienced leadership and a record in elected office.
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- Uphold the voter-approved General Plan and keep community input at the center of land-use decisions.
- Wildfire prevention and insurance reform, including advocating at the state level for wildfire coverage as an optional add-on.
- Revitalize agriculture by expanding lodging and tourism options under the Ranch Marketing Ordinance.
- Permit reform: establish clear customer-service standards in the Planning and Building Department.
- Fair and competitive compensation for rank-and-file county workers; avoid surprise layoffs.
- Transparent budgeting and smarter revenue strategies in the face of county budget shortfalls.
- A long-term, comprehensive plan to address homelessness.
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| Key Endorsements |
- Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC.
- El Dorado County Republican Party, and party chairman Todd White.
- Sheriff Jeff Leikauf; former Sheriffs John D’Agostini and Hal Barker.
- District Attorney Vern Pierson.
- Supervisors Brian Veerkamp, George Turnboo and Greg Ferrero.
- County Surveyor Brian Frazier.
- Gun Owners of California; California Rifle and Pistol Association.
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- El Dorado County Chamber PAC.
- Ron Briggs, former El Dorado County supervisor.
- Labor leaders listed individually rather than as organizational endorsements: Jen Rimoldi, president, EDCEA Local 1; Tina Acree, AFSCME Council 57.
- Sid Basset, elected official.
- An extensive list of District 4 residents, business owners and community members; the campaign emphasizes resident and volunteer support over institutional political backing.
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| Strategic Advantages |
- Deepest elected-office record in the race, spanning county, legislative and statewide tax-policy roles.
- Highest name recognition and an established donor and political network.
- Consolidated institutional backing: county Republican Party, three sheriffs, the district attorney and three sitting supervisors.
- Led the primary by roughly 21 points and finished within a few points of winning outright.
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- More than 20 years living in District 4, with a record built on local boards, county oversight and volunteer service.
- Direct wildfire-prevention involvement through Firewise and Fire Safe Council work gives her a concrete local record on the issue voters raise most often.
- Business-management background provides a non-career-government contrast.
- Cross-cutting endorsement base — a Chamber PAC alongside labor leaders — supports a broad, non-factional appeal.
- Participated in candidate forums her opponent skipped, supporting an accessibility and engagement argument.
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| Strategic Vulnerabilities |
- A long political résumé invites a “career politician” contrast in a race where local roots were a central theme for every candidate.
- Has lived in El Dorado County roughly a decade, well short of Posey’s 20-plus years in District 4; his elective career was based in Placer County and Sacramento.
- Voted against SB 901 (2018), the wildfire package that included forest-health and fuel-reduction funding. He argued the bill was not aggressive enough and objected to shifting utility wildfire costs onto ratepayers; opponents can cite the vote, and he can cite his stated reason.
- Land-use record as a Placer County supervisor, where he supported several large development projects, may be tested against his rural-preservation platform.
- Declining the League of Women Voters forum supplies an accessibility argument for opponents.
- Left the Assembly mid-term in 2011 and the Senate mid-term in 2019 to take other offices, each triggering a special election.
- Fell short of 50%+1 despite leading a four-candidate field.
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- No prior elected office and lower name recognition than Gaines.
- Must roughly double her primary share: consolidating most Clark and Deitz voters while also drawing some Gaines support.
- Smaller fundraising base makes districtwide communication harder against an established political operation.
- Labor-leader endorsements can be used to frame her as union-aligned in a county that leans conservative.
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| Campaign & Major Donors |
- Committee: Gaines for Supervisor 2026, FPPC ID 1478940.
- Pre-primary filings show an established donor network including political committees and business and industry sources, a substantial share from outside the county.
- Benefits from statewide political contacts developed over two decades in elected office.
- Figures reflect pre-primary reporting; confirm against the most recent Form 460 before distribution.
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- Committee: Committee to Elect Gina Posey Supervisor – 2026, FPPC ID 1480869.
- Pre-primary filings show individual contributions alongside labor support.
- Campaign positions itself as grassroots and locally focused, relying on community outreach and volunteer activity.
- Figures reflect pre-primary reporting; confirm against the most recent Form 460 before distribution.
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