
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Helen Owen, a longtime Middletown resident and rancher, is getting ready to take office as the new District 1 supervisor.
She is set to take the oath of office this week as she and another new supervisor, Brad Rasmussen, representing District 4, take their seats on the board.
Owen won the District 1 supervisorial race against Planning Commissioner John Hess in the Nov. 5 election.
The Registrar of Voters Office’s finalized 2024 election results showed that Owen received 3,118 votes, or 57.63%, over Hess’ 2,292 votes, or 42.37%.
For both the March and November races, the two had a tight initial count with Hess leading slightly. But Owen caught up in the final counts for both races and won.
Owen quickly began preparing for her transition into the new role, attending her first meeting as supervisor-elect with the county’s Geothermal Advisory Committee last month.
She said the meeting was an opportunity to meet people and to “start getting into the swing.”
Owen said that this is one of the committees she will join as supervisor. The current District 1 supervisor, Moke Simon — Owen’s predecessor — also serves on the committee.
Over the past month, she kept busy, attending a supervisorial training, a Firewise meeting and the Middletown Area Town Hall.
She also gave a helping hand at a Dec. 14 toy distribution held by veterans organizations at the American Legion Post in Clearlake.
“So anything I can make, I’m going to,” Owen said.
When asked about Measure U, the controversial countywide advisory ballot on whether the name of Kelseyville should be changed to Konocti, “I know it failed miserably,” she said of the outcome, where over 70% of voters said “no” to the name change.
Owen knew the matter was coming up at the supervisors’ meeting on Dec. 10, and ahead of it was unsure if a decision would be made. The board voted 3-2 to recommend to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names that the name be changed.
Beside the Geothermal Advisory Committee, Owen said she’s interested in serving committees to do with agriculture, safety, water and transportation such as highways and Caltrans.
“Water is a big one for me,” she said. “I feel that throughout life that’s the most important asset we have and so I would really like to be on.”
Although Owen knows what committees she would like to serve, “I don’t know where I’ll be for sure,” she said, adding that it’s up to the board chair to appoint the different committees.
Before starting the new job, Owen also was working on a plan for her home and ranch, where she and her daughter give rodeo lessons. “I’ve got to hire somebody to take my spot. I found out that my daughter is going to have another baby.”
With hiring additional help at the ranch, “I can devote 100% of my time to the thing,” Owen said of the supervisor role.
“I’ve got the pressures off as far as, you know, the campaign. So it feels better that a little different kind of pressure,” Owen said. “I just don’t want to disappoint people and I want to be the very best supervisor I can be.”
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..