SOUTH COUNTY – As the final months of the District 1 supervisorial race begin to wind down, the two candidates who will be on the November ballot have received major new endorsements.

James Comstock of Middletown and Susanne La Faver of Hidden Valley Lake will be on the November 4 ballot, each seeking to succeed Ed Robey as supervisor for District 1, which includes

Anderson Springs, Hidden Valley Lake, Lake Lake Middletown and part of Clearlake.

Robey, who has served three terms on the board, is retiring from the board at the end of this year.

La Faver and Comstock were the top vote getters out of a field of six candidates which appeared on the June ballot, as Lake County News has reported.

Both candidates recently announced new endorsements of their supervisorial campaigns; La Faver received the nod from Congressman Mike Thompson, while the Lake County Farm Bureau gave its support to Comstock.

"Based on your background working in the water, power and agriculture industries, I feel you will be an outstanding addition to the Board of Supervisors," Thompson told La Faver in an Aug. 27 endorsement letter.

La Faver has more than 25 years of business and management experience, including owning her own consulting business, and teaches graduate business courses at Golden Gate University.

Thompson's support for La Faver follows other endorsements she's received from Robey and Supervisor Denise Rushing; Clearlake City Council members Judy Thein, Chuck Leonard and Joyce Overton; Lake County's state legislators, Sen. Patricia Wiggins and Assembly member Patty Berg; and former Sen. Wes Chesbro.

This week, Comstock – a Navy veteran, rancher, businessman and Middletown Unified School District trustee – reported the Lake County Farm Bureau endorsement.

Lake County Farm Bureau President Bob Gayaldo said Comstock will be a strong voice for agriculture.

"Farm Bureau directors were deeply impressed with Jim Comstock's commitment to preserving rural land," said Gayaldo. "After the death of his father, Jim saved his family's ranch at great personal and financial sacrifice. We need that kind of proven dedication on the county board."

The Farm Bureau endorsement joins those from the Middletown Rancheria, Lakeport City Councilman Roy Parmentier and former Lake County Sheriff James Wright.

On Wednesday Comstock and La Faver took part in the first of two debates scheduled for the south county before absentee ballots are mailed the first week in October.

The Wednesday debate, held in Lower Lake, will be broadcast on KPFZ 88.1 FM and telecast on PEG TV Channel 8; the specific airing schedules are yet to be announced.

The second debate, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, will take place at the Calpine Visitors Center in Middletown, 15550 Central Park Road.

The debates are cosponsored by Lake County News, the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, Lake County Association of Realtors, Calpine and the Lake County Farm Bureau.

For more about the two candidates, visit their Web sites at www.jimcomstock.com and www.susanneforsupervisor.com.

E-mail questions for the upcoming debate to Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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