Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: Having Lost Election, Three Orosi Public Utilities District Directors Must Vacate Office Immediately

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. today announced that they have sent a letter to the Orosi Public Utilities District (OPUD) Board of Directors concerning the certified results of the 2024 OPUD election, held on November 5, 2024. Three incumbent members — Reynaldo Rivas, Maria C. Gonzalez, and Johnny Sandoval — lost their respective contests for reelection to the OPUD Board of Directors. Despite the results having already been duly certified by the Tulare County Registrar of Voters, the three members assert that the November 5, 2024 election is “null and void” and that they intend to continue to serve in their roles as members of the OPUD Board until such time as a new election is held. No election contest was filed challenging the election, and the time to bring such a challenge has expired.  

“Few things are as un-American as refusing to accept the results of an election,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I call upon Mr. Rivas, Ms. Gonzalez, and Mr. Sandoval to step aside immediately. Whatever their grievances may be, they failed to challenge the election results. Now, they must respect the will of the voters. If they do not, the California Department of Justice and the Secretary of State’s Office stand ready to take legal action.”  

“As California’s chief elections officer, I am responsible for ensuring that state elections laws are enforced. Attorney General Bonta and I stand firm that voters must be able to trust that elections and election results matter,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “An incumbent who is not reelected does not have any authority to unilaterally decide to stay in office. Any person who hinders democracy by preventing a lawfully elected person from taking office will be held accountable.”

In accordance with the California Elections Code, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors has also already issued certificates of election to the prevailing candidates. Those new Board members have since taken their oath of office on December 6, 2024 and are the legitimate members of the OPUD Board for Districts 1, 2, and 4. The letter asks for written confirmation that Mr. Rivas, Ms. Gonzalez, and Mr. Sandoval will no longer assert their entitlement to serve as members of the Board by noon on Friday, January 17, 2024. 

A copy of the letter can be found here.