I’m not sure what’s worse: someone who’s currently being tried for election fraud announcing a run for office or hiring the person you’re hoping will win the election to replace you. 

Actually, I’m sure that one is actually worse. But both stink. 

We’ll go with first the worst. 

Twice failed mayoral candidate currently charged with defrauding voters Gaea Powell seems to put herself in positions to get a lot of ink! 

At this point, I think we can all agree that her cylinders don’t fire like the rest of us. The elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top. She’s a few cards short of a full deck, a few fries short of a Happy Meal, has some bats in the belfry, is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, if you know what I mean? 

Her latest shenanigan is a WTF moment, and her life is full of WTF moments: She’s played porn as part of a slideshow during a San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting, screamed at the Arroyo Grande City Council for violating her “First Amendment rights,” walked into the Arroyo Grande High School library to inspect it for “sexually explicit” material, and continues to claim that she worked as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff. 

I’ve found no evidence of that level of political power in all my deep dives on this lady. Yes, I’ve dedicated some time to the ol’ Gaea Powell rabbit hole. Don’t judge me! The closest thing I could find was that Powell was his executive assistant when Scharzenegger filmed Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Close, amirite?

What’s the harm in a little truth-stretching? And arguably truth-stretching is what got her into the mess she’s in right now, defending herself in court against election fraud counts filed by the county District Attorney’s Office. She’s accused of fraudulently voting and filing for candidacy in two different cycles, 2022 and 2024, as well as not taking care of her election finances correctly. 

Even though she doesn’t understand the legal system, which is so clear from her court hearings, she’s insisted on defending herself without a bona fide attorney. The judge was flabbergasted. How very Ted Bundy of her. 

And now, this lady is running for county Clerk-Recorder. She wants to be in charge of elections, because she’s mad at current Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano for doing her job—you know, referring information and complaints about election fraud to the district attorney. How dare she? 

The charges against her are political, Powell insists, designed to “silence her voice.” Well, I wish that had worked! Clearly, it hasn’t silenced shit, because this lady is still talking and taking up space in the paper. 

“I believe the DA wanted to bury me under a pile of charges and irrelevant data to force a plea, remove me from public life, and use me as a political warning to others,” Powell said. 

That’s so weird. Why would Christian conservative legal beagle Dan Dow—who has been so public about his beliefs on things like trans issues, which fall along the same lines as Powell’s—want to silence her voice? Well, she told New Times that she believes he’s a secret liberal. And I cackled until I started crying. 

Why isn’t she running for district attorney if she hates Dow for doing his job, too? She’s obviously not qualified, however, she believes she can do Cano’s job because she knows “government overreach” when she sees it. Just look at her! On trial for election fraud because of government overreach, a super-de-duper secret liberal, and political retribution—not because of her own actions. 

Is that narcissism I hear? Is it a lack of accountability? Is it a familiar refrain in politics today? Is it a page out of our president’s book? Sure sounds like it. 

But onto second best—I mean second worst. 

Dan Dow’s secret favorite supervisor, progressive 2nd District SLO County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, has replaced his outgoing legislative aide with his old legislative aide (who also happens to be his wife) along with the person Gibson’s endorsed as his replacement. That’s a bad look for both Gibson and Jim Dantona, who definitely has an opponent in the race to take Gibson’s place. 

Say what you want about nepotism—which is what Dantona’s opponent, Michael Erin Woody, was initially complaining about. Woody went hard against Gibson’s old legislative aide, now Gibson’s wife, moving into the vacant position for the remainder of his term. Not one mention of the person he’s running against sharing the position with Gibson’s wife.

But then, voila! A second statement followed, as if Woody suddenly became aware that he was running against Dantona! 

Maybe Dantona needed a job after quitting the SLO Chamber of Commerce? Moving into the outer office of the larger office he hopes to occupy by this time next year is not the way, man. 

I get that legislative aides go on to run for office. It happens all the time. Just look at Santa Barbara County—one-time 4th District Supervisor Peter Adam’s longtime legislative aide became the heir apparent and is now the current supervisor while 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s longtime legislative aide is aiming to do the same. 

But announcing a run for office and then getting hired as that office’s legislative aide is a little backwards. Just like this political time we’re living in. ∆

The Shredder thinks it’s the worst. Send good news to [email protected].

This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2025.