LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

First, everyone that is able please cast a ballot this election as this is a way to let your opinion be known at every level of government.

This election there are three running for California Assembly, all of which have credentials to consider. Prior experience and commitments to various listed principles are evident in all three. Only one possess the actual experience in working at federal, state and local level. Only one is running fully independent of political and or party machines and that is Jamie Johansson.

Jamie Johansson will work to keep us safe by bringing a dose of common sense to Sacramento. He certainly is not showing a obligation to outside water users that take our natural resources without let up. He understands our water issues. He understands families, farmers, workers and every level of government.

He deserves independent thoughtful vote as if elected he will be approachable, knowledgeable and most of all will put the north state constituents interests above special interests. Turn that ballot in — vote Jamie Johansson for Assembly.

As a long-time resident of Butte County, retired CPA, and farmer, I am supporting Jamie Johansson for the 3rd Assembly District.

I first met Jamie in 1998, some 28 years ago, while serving on the Butte County Farm Bureau Board. Jamie was new to the board. The hot political issues at that time were how to balance farmers’ water rights with domestic household users and how to manage land use. We needed a spokesperson to represent the views of Butte County farmers, and Jamie emerged as our representative. He was interviewed on live TV and radio and was remarkably good; calm under pressure, thoughtful, and steady.

Jamie’s list of accomplishments over the past 28 years is long. I remember Jamie pitching an idea for a farm trail map to promote agritourism and help small farms survive and grow. That idea became the Sierra Oro Farm Trail, which continues to thrive more than 20 years later.

I would often see Jamie at the Saturday Chico Farmers Market selling his olive oil, while nearby, we were selling our locally produced pecans. He was always upbeat and he demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit.

I’ve watched Jamie rise from a local Farm Bureau member all the way to President of the California Farm Bureau. For 14 years, he worked in Sacramento, visiting Washington, D.C., advocating for California farmers.

Finally, I admire Jamie’s character. Besides being knowledgeable, smart, grounded, and committed to north state values, he is, at his core, honest, approachable, and solutions-oriented.

After nearly four decades in agricultural regulation and resource protection in the north state, I know how important it is to have leaders who truly understand farming, water, and the challenges facing rural communities. Jaime Johansson is simply the best and most qualified candidate to represent our district. That is why I strongly support Jamie Johansson for Assembly District 3.

Jamie doesn’t just talk about supporting agriculture — he lives it every day as a farmer, business owner, and former president of the California Farm Bureau. He understands firsthand the impact Sacramento laws and regulations have on farmers, water users, and small businesses throughout our region.

Throughout my career serving Butte and Yuba counties, I worked closely with growers, ranchers, and agricultural organizations to help protect both our farming economy and our natural resources. Jamie has consistently been a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and effective advocate for north state agriculture and water security.

He understands that strong rural communities depend on reliable water, reasonable regulations, and policies that allow family farms and local businesses to survive and grow.

Jamie also knows how to bring people together to solve problems. That kind of leadership is badly needed in Sacramento today.



Our region deserves someone who will fight for agriculture, protect our water rights, and ensure rural voices are heard. I believe Jamie Johansson is the right person for that job, and he has my full support.

Our family has worked alongside the Johansson family since the early 1990s helping manage their olive ranch, and we are proud to support Jamie Johansson for Assembly.

My father, Andy Rodriguez, was one of the first people Jamie hired when he was learning how to grow olives. Back then, Jamie was also working in construction for John Starr at Better Builders. Jaime spent countless hours following my dad around the ranch learning the farming business from the ground up.

Over the years, the Johansson family has treated our family like their own. They have always supported us through good times and difficult times. Today, I continue managing the ranch after all these years. They have demonstrated to us that our families are truly familia.

What people should know about Jamie is that he respects hard work and treats people with dignity no matter where they come from. He understands agriculture, small business, and the value of family because he lives it every day.



Jamie is the same person privately that people see publicly — honest, loyal, hardworking, and committed to the community.

We hope Hispanic voters throughout District 3 will join us in supporting a great man for the job.

I am proud to support Jamie Johansson for California State Assembly. I have known Jamie for more than two decades, and throughout that time he has consistently demonstrated the kind of leadership our Northern California communities need.

Jamie listens first and leads with values rooted in the people and communities he serves. He understands the real challenges facing families today — making life more affordable, fighting crime, and protecting our region from devastating wildfires.

His record of public service speaks for itself. Jamie has served as an elected city council member and as president of California’s largest farm organization, where he earned a reputation as a thoughtful, effective leader who can bring people together to solve difficult problems.

What sets Jamie apart is his character. He knows how to stand firmly for important values while remaining approachable, respectful, and willing to listen to differing points of view. That combination of strength, humility, and integrity is too rare in public life today.

Jamie Johansson is exactly the type of person we should want representing us. Now is the time to support his campaign and help build a better future for our families, our communities and for California.

Several years ago, when we were forming the Alliance for California Business, three of us met to form a group with the intent to sue CARB. We had been urged to do this by Bill Wattenberg of KGO Rado and Coast to Coast Radio.

Rich McGowan, Jamie Johansson and I were the original three. Jim Paiva and Ric Cinquini had asked to be included.

Jamie stayed through the entire meeting and listened carefully to every idea being discussed. At the time, he was just getting started as a first generation farmer and didn’t have much money to spare. When we talked about building an organization that would fight for agriculture and business Jamie stepped up and gave the very first $2,500 donation to help get us started. That told me everything that I needed to know about his character. Jamie has always been willing to put action behind his beliefs.

Later Jamie became the President of the California Farm Bureau and throughout the years has continued to be a tireless fighter for farmers, ranchers, businesses and rural communities. He understands the challenges facing California because he has lived them.

I will always back him and fully endorse Jamie Johansson for California Assembly and encourage others to support a leader that will stand up for agriculture and business in Sacramento.

I have personal experience working with Jamie Johansson. He is an honest, industrious and bright man who can be trusted to perform on the job.

Jamie’s civic duties have included service on the Oroville City Council and the Butte County Farm Bureau, and as president of the California Farm Bureau. Jamie has a passion for serving as a civil servant and giving unselfishly to the community, local and state. His tenure as California Farm Bureau president prepared him well to work in Sacramento and Washington DC, to undertake the task of an assemblyman in Washington.

Jamie was on the road as CFB president, spending most days engaging, representing, and fighting for small, medium and large farmers in this state. What better example of how he would perform as an assembly member in our district?

Jamie’s record is proven. I confidently recommend and invite you to join me in voting for Jamie Johansson, 3rd Assembly District.

As a retired Oroville Police Chief and a former member of the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, we’ve spent our careers serving this community. That’s why we’re writing to strongly support Jamie Johansson for Assembly District 3.

When Jamie was elected to the Oroville City Council in 2006, Mitch was serving as Chief of Police. We saw firsthand the kind of leader he was. Jamie championed law enforcement, strengthened code enforcement efforts, and stood up for vulnerable children through drug endangered youth initiatives. He took on blight and fought for seniors living in dangerous conditions at the Oroville Inn— helping push toward its eventual remodel. These weren’t easy fights, but Jamie stayed with them and delivered results for the community.

Since then, we’ve watched Jamie take that same work ethic and leadership far beyond Oroville — rising through the Farm Bureau to become a respected voice at the state and national level. He brings hands-on experience with the critical issues facing our region: fire prevention, water policy, and land management. Jamie has been in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., working on legislation, building relationships, and navigating the process of getting things done. He is the only candidate in this race who can walk in on day one and be effective.

We wholeheartedly support Jamie Johansson for Assembly and encourage you to do the same.

I met Jamie Johansson 15 years ago, under a white canopy tent on a  Saturday morning at the Chico Certified Farmers Market.

Little did we know that we’d be neighbors at the market for years to come, showing up, rain or shine, spending those mornings talking about family, small farm and ranch operations, and the challenges faced trying to make it work in California.

I got to know Jamie as a farmer before he was a candidate for Assembly District 3.

Over time, Jamie’s leadership and commitment to agriculture took him beyond the market. Elected to leadership at the California Farm Bureau, he was off to Sacramento and Washington D.C. His physical presence at the market became less frequent, but the work he was doing on behalf of farmers and ranchers grew.

Jamie remains a trusted friend and a tireless advocate for agriculture and the communities it surrounds.

What stands out to me most is this: he still shows up.

Jamie is the only candidate I’ve seen make the effort to come to Elk Creek. On the edge of the district in Glenn County off  I-5, it’s a place that’s easy to overlook, full of hardworking people who deserve to be heard.



We pay attention to who shows up, listens, and understands what it takes to keep small farms, ranches and rural communities going. We’re proud to display his sign at Divide Ranch and support Jamie Johansson for Assembly.

Let’s talk about the candidates you will be voting for this upcoming primary. I have read and listened (over the last 67 years) to those hoping to represent me in my town, county and state. I look for people who can persuade others to the values I hold most dear.

Those of you who recognize my name at the bottom, know that I believe in conservatism. This belief has come to me slowly, after being a Democrat for 30 years! I’ve learned: you just cannot throw money at a project and expect it to magically succeed. One blaring example is the homelessness problem in our town and state. We have too many representatives unwilling to weigh the success or failure of a project, then not willing to change direction if those current plans are unsuccessful. Point in fact, the Warren versus Chico legal constraints put upon our city. (It will run out in 2027.) We need leaders who are articulate and able to forward ideas that actually work, not the same old, same old that have not worked.

This year I have determined that Kasey Reynolds, James Gallagher, Peter Durfee, Jamie Johansson, and Tom van Overbeck will be working hardest for the best interests of this area.

Mark both ballots you receive, they are not duplicates.

If you do not vote, then you have no right to complain about the negative conditions you must live in!

As a farmer and member of the Butte County Water Commission, I have spent decades focused on one of the most critical issues facing our region: water. In California, water policy is complex, high-stakes, and deeply consequential — especially here in the North State, where agriculture is not only a cornerstone of our economy, but a way of life that supports countless businesses and families.



That is why I am proud to support Jamie Johansson for Assembly.

Jamie is the only farmer in this race, and he brings a level of practical experience, policy expertise, and regional leadership that is totally unmatched.

I first came to know Jamie as a familiar face at the Chico Farmers Market, where my family and I enjoyed his outstanding olive oil. As I’ve gotten to know him personally, I’ve come to respect his character, humility, common sense, and sound judgment. He understands how policy decisions made in Sacramento affect real people on the ground because he has lived those realities himself.

As President/CEO of the California Farm Bureau, Jamie led an organization deeply engaged in some of the most consequential policy battles in our state. Leading a team of eight water attorneys, he was instrumental in working with the Legislature and Governor Jerry Brown’s administration to help shape the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, one of the most important water policies in California history.

At this pivotal moment, Assembly District 3 needs proven leadership rooted in real-world experience. Jamie Johansson is uniquely qualified for the job.

As someone who’s had the honor of serving the people as Oroville Mayor from 2011 to 2019 — I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to lead a community through both challenges and opportunities.

This moment is one of those times.

Following the tragic passing of Doug LaMalfa and the passage of Prop 50, our North State communities are facing important decisions about the future. We need leadership that understands our region — not just politically, but personally.

That’s why I support Jamie Johansson for California Assembly District 3.

During my time in local government, I worked closely with people across our region and know how critical it is to have someone representing us who understands the backbone of our local economy. Jamie brings that perspective. As a Butte County farmer, he understands the challenges our agricultural community faces because he lives them every day.

Equally important, he brings proven leadership. As President and CEO of the California Farm Bureau, Jamie worked at the highest levels of policy-making — helping pass legislation, advocating for rural communities, and delivering real results.



In local government, you quickly learn the difference between someone who talks about issues and someone who delivers results, and that person is Jamie Johansson.

Our region cannot afford a learning curve. We need steady, experienced leadership that will stand for our communities, protect our way of life, and move the North State forward.

I strongly encourage you to join me in supporting Jamie Johansson.

Up here in Berry Creek, we’ve learned what really matters. We’ve lived through wildfire, loss, and the long road of rebuilding. And through it all, one thing becomes clear: you remember who shows up.

That’s why I’m supporting Jamie Johansson for District 3 Assembly. Jamie shows up.

He shows up for our communities, for our farmers, and for people who often feel overlooked or forgotten. He doesn’t just talk about supporting rural California, he lives it. He understands what it means to fight for your land, your livelihood, and your future.

I’ve seen the difference between people who say the right things and people who put in the work. Jamie has done the work. From leading at the California Farm Bureau to working on major issues like water policy and wildfire recovery, he knows how to get things done — and he knows how those decisions affect communities like ours.

But more than titles or experience, it comes down to this: he shows up when it matters. He has been to Berry Creek numerous times, most recently to support our Grange.

In a place like Berry Creek, that means everything.

We need someone who won’t forget us, who will stand with us, and who will fight for rural communities every step of the way. Jamie Johansson is that person.

I’m proud to support him, and I encourage you to do the same.