Calif. county faces stark election choice: traditional Republicans or a militant wing?
REDDING, Calif. — The sun was blindingly bright, and the streets in Redding's Buckeye neighborhood were mostly empty — anyone at home on this Tuesday afternoon was wisely staying out of the 100-degree swelter.
Kevin Crye, the owner of a local children's "Ninja Gym" who is running for a seat on Shasta County's Board of Supervisors, was undaunted. He charged from house to house dropping fliers depicting a Crye family portrait. When people answered their doors, Crye would introduce himself and cheerfully demand to know what they considered the top issues in this city in the far north of California's Central Valley.
Crye has never run for office before, and only got into politics last fall after far-right power brokers — who are trying to wrest control of county government away from the traditional Republican establishment — encouraged him to join their ballot-box insurrection.
"I actually hate politicians," he confided to one prospective voter after chasing him up his driveway to give him a flier. Now Crye is doing his utmost to run a traditional campaign: raising money, getting his name out and, most important, trying to personally connect with every possible voter before the June 7 election.
