Rural California county keeps ultra conservative official who pushed to upend voting system

Shasta county's Kevin Crye fought off recall effort, but a far-right official who pushed election conspiracies lost the race for his seat

Shasta county voters returned a mixed verdict on the ultra-conservative politics the rural enclave in northern California has become known for, ousting one far-right local official and offering another a political lifeline.

County residents on 5 March resoundingly declined to re-elect Patrick Jones to the board of supervisors, the county's governing body. Jones, a leader of the local far-right movement, had repeatedly, and baselessly, argued that county and US elections are being rigged. Jones's opponent, Matt Plummer, won the race for the seat with nearly 60% of the vote.