The closely watched race has become a referendum on how elections should be run in Shasta County. Francescut and incumbent Clint Curtis have offered sharply different visions for the office.
Francescut is currently leading Curtis with over 56% of the vote. Ballots may continue to arrive up to a week after Election Day.
Francescut worked in the Shasta County elections office for 17 years and served as assistant county clerk. She campaigned on following state election laws while increasing transparency and restoring stability to the office.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors appointed Curtis last year in a controversial decision. He had no prior experience running elections and sought to make changes that he said would make elections more secure and transparent. Those efforts included filming ballots as they were counted and eliminating electronic poll pads used to check in voters.
The race was also a rematch of last year's appointment process. Francescut was a finalist for the position before supervisors selected Curtis. Curtis later fired her from the elections office.
Because only two candidates are running for county clerk, the race will be decided in the primary. If Francescut wins, however, she will not take office until January, when Curtis' term ends.
One moderate challenger on track to win outright
One far-right incumbent supervisor appears to be headed for a major defeat, and another may be heading to the November General Election.
The races could help determine whether the board's conservative majority remains intact after several years of contentious debates over election administration and county governance.
Under California election rules, a candidate in local races must receive more than 50% of the vote in the primary to win outright. Otherwise, the top two finishers advance to the general election.
In District 1, which includes most of Redding, Redding City Council Member Erin Resner currently holds onto a majority of the vote over incumbent Kevin Crye and candidate Richard Gallardo. Crye defeated Resner by just 90 votes in 2022.
Resner currently leads the race with 54% of the vote, followed by Crye with 39%. If Resner maintains that lead, she'll avoid a rematch with Crye in November.
Crye narrowly survived a recall election in 2024 and remains one of the most prominent members of the board's conservative majority.
In District 5, incumbent Chris Kelstrom appears headed for a November matchup against Anderson City Council member Michael Gallagher.
Gallagher was endorsed by former Supervisor Tim Garman, a more moderate board member who initially filed to run for the seat before withdrawing from the race.
Gallagher leads the race with nearly 49% of the vote, followed by Kelstrom with 41% and Gary Allen Oxley with 10%.
With ballots still arriving, it remained unclear Wednesday morning whether either race would produce a majority winner or advance to a November runoff.
