Comments about Larry Stone taken off Pete McHugh’s ballot
statement
Gilroy – The first round of the electoral fight between incumbent Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone and his opponent, Supervisor Pete McHugh, was a clear victory for Stone.
Friday, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ordered the county registrar to remove negative statements about Stone from McHugh’s ballot statement.
The statements criticized Stone for not remedying problems with outdated technology in his office and for seeking a property tax exemption on a development project.
Judge Joseph H. Huber ruled that the statements violated the state election code by including inaccurate statements. Stone said the statement augurs a negative campaign from McHugh. The election is June.
“Pete has concluded, and I think he’s probably right, that the only way to defeat an incumbent is to go negative,” Stone said. “There’s a real question whether he has qualifications he can run on.”
This is the first time Stone has been challenged since he won a contested election in 1994.
But Stone’s most recent victory was not complete. Judge Huber allowed McHugh’s allegation that the office’s technology is obsolete.
McHugh could not be reached for comment.
