Did San Luis Obispo County supervisor candidate violate election law?

June 1, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

Supporters of San Luis Obispo County District 2 candidates Jim Dantona and Michael Woody are battling on social media over the use of chief of staff as Dantona’s occupation.

Dantona is accused of manipulating the voters by using the term chief of staff, even though he does not oversee any staffers. In addition, critics question if Dantona violated statutes by the length and wording used in his designation.

CalCoastNews reviewed election statutes and spoke with several election law attorneys about the allegations, which show Dantona did violate election law.

In 2025, SLO County Supervisor Bruce Gibson announced he would not run for reelection before throwing his support behind Dantona, who at the time was the  CEO for the SLO Chamber of Commerce.

Dantona resigned from the chamber at the end of 2025 and went to work in Gibson’s office in Jan. 2026. At the same time, Supervisor Jimmy Paulding’s legislative assistant wanted a title change to chief of staff, and in January the change was approved.

In the voter guide, Dantona is listed as: “Chief of Staff – District 2, SLO County Supervisor.” On the ballot, he is listed as “Chief of Staff.”

While Dantona is currently Gibson’s chief of staff, the election code requires Dantona to list his occupation in 2025. Not only was Dantona the CEO for SLO Chamber of Commerce in 2025, the job of chief of staff did not exist.

In addition, the voter pamphlets and ballots restrict occupation, with some exceptions, to three words, while Dantona’s pamphlet includes eight words.

“No more than three words designating either the current principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate, or the principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing of nomination documents,” according to Election Code Division 13, Chapter 2, Section 13107, (3).

While the SLO County Clerk-Recorders Office is charged with making sure the designations follow election law, in this case no one caught the errors.

“If, upon checking the nomination documents and the ballot designation worksheet described in Section 13107.3, the elections official finds the designation to be in violation of any of the restrictions set forth in this section, the elections official shall notify the candidate by registered or certified mail return receipt requested, addressed to the mailing address provided on the candidate’s ballot designation worksheet,” according to the Election Code.

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