He led San Luis Obispo County through an election he called, ”one for the ages.” On Monday, Tommy Gong spoke with a local nonpartisan organization about the future of elections and his career.
As San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder, Gong oversees many of the election processes and records maintenance.
The League of Women Voters held an online event Monday with Gong and former SLO County Clerk-Recorder Julie Rodewald. The League said the goal was, in part, to dispel misinformation about local elections.
On Monday, Rodewald, who is now the Director of Voter Service for the League of Women Voters in San Luis Obispo County, asked, “Is there any evidence of election fraud from this past election?”
Gong responded, “No, there is not.”
After the 2020 General Election, Gong's office surveyed voters about their confidence in the integrity of the election.
Gong says more registered Democrats completed the survey with an average score of 9.8 out of 10.
"And for the Republican Party, their average score is five,” Gong said.
At a Board of Supervisors meeting in May, multiple callers questioned the accuracy of the county's voting machines. That meeting garnered national attention, including a discussion on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show.
Last week, Gong announced that he is resigning his position to take a job as the Deputy County Clerk-Recorder for Contra Costa County.
The SLO County Clerk-Recorder position is an elected position and with the vacancy coming up and an expected gubernatorial recall, San Luis Obispo County may need to hold another election to replace Gong.
“One of the options is the county could appoint an individual to fulfill the remainder of the term,” Gong added.
KSBY News reached out to San Luis Obispo County about its plans to replace Gong but has not yet received an answer.
