SLO County woman plans to represent herself in election fraud case

September 23, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

A judge on Monday granted a 62-year-old San Luis Obispo County woman permission to represent herself in court regarding nine election fraud charges related to the 2022 and 2024 Arroyo Grande mayoral elections.

Prosecutors charged former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate Gaea Powell with voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, failure to file campaign finance reports, and for perjury by declaration. She pleaded not guilty in July.

SLO County Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello warned Powell about the risks of representing herself during a previous hearing. She is currently facing a maximum sentence of nearly nine years in prison.

While granting Powell’s request to represent herself on Monday, Covello warned her that she may be placing herself in legal jeopardy.

Powell allegedly registered to vote at an address in Arroyo Grande where she did not reside as required by law. Instead, she lived in the county on the outskirts of Arroyo Grande.

Powell also failed to file campaign finance reports while spending more than $2,000 on her 2022 Arroyo Grande mayoral campaign against Caren Ray Russom. The race ended with Russom leading 62.40% t0 27.48%.

In the 2024 Arroyo Grande mayoral race, Russom garnered 64.32% of the vote while Powell received 35.68%.

Powell’s next hearing is set for Aug. 11. She requested a public defender.

The Public Integrity Unit of the District Attorney’s Office investigated and is prosecuting this case. This unit was founded in 2015, with a mission to hold elected officials, public employees, and candidates for office accountable to the rules and laws that govern them.