Six months before Josh Harder filed to run for Congress to represent San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, he voted in the Nov. 8, 2016 San Francisco general election.

In a letter dated Oct. 23, 2018 Matthew Selby of the City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections stated “Joshua Keck Harder (DOB 8/1/1986) was registered to vote in San Francisco County from 9/29/2016 to 4/17/2017. This voter participated in the 11/8/2016 Consolidated General Election.”

Documentation provided by Stanislaus County Elections Manager Donna Linder on Oct. 24, 2017 shows that Harder:

registered to vote in Stanislaus County in 09/2004.

was cancelled as a Stanislaus County registered voter in 10/2016 after an out of county move.

registered to vote in Stanislaus County on 04/2017.

Harder on May 2, 2017 filed to run for Congress to represent the 10th District. That was six months after voting in San Francisco and less than a month prior to turning in his paperwork to run for office.

On June 27, 2018 the Stanislaus County Elections Department responded to a public records inquiry from Jacob Faulder of Turlock that indicated in the 20 elections that took place after Harder registered to vote in 2004 and before the 2018 primary that he only voted in three elections. That was in the Feb. 5, 2008 presidential primary, the Nov. 8, 2016 general election, and the 2017 consolidated general election. 

If that were true, then Harder voted on Nov. 8 in both San Francisco and Stanislaus counties.

The Harder campaign produced the Oct. 23, 2017 documentation that indicated Harder cancelled his registration meaning he did not vote in Stanislaus County in the Nov. 8, 2016 election as the county elections department said he did in the June 7, 2018 communication to Faulder.

Stanislaus County did not clarify how after Harder’s registration to vote locally was cancelled in April of 2017 why his name was still left on county voter rolls for the Nov. 8, 2016 election as indicated in their June 7, 2018 response to Faulder.

Denham’s campaign manager Josh Whitfield in a press release on Wednesday contends that Harder committed a felony by voting in two different during the 2016 general election. That said, Stanislaus County elections officials Wednesday clarified Harder did not vote on Nov. 8, 2016 despite their office’s earlier response to a public records act request that said he did.

Denham’s campaign seized upon the clarification that was made after they obtained documentation Tuesday from San Francisco officials that Harder voted in that county on Nov. 8. 2016 to question Harder’s loyalty to the valley opting to vote in San Francisco instead. What makes the Nov. 8, 2016 election stand out is it was the last time that Denham was on the general ballot when he defeated Democratic challenger Michael Eggman.

In a statement issued by Denham, the Republican congressman asked, “Why did Josh Harder chose to vote for Nancy Pelosi over local issues? The fact remains the only moved back to our District to run for Congress, if he cared about the Valley he would have voted here.”

However, if Harder moved to San Francisco for work or whatever reason it would have been illegal for him to vote in Stanislaus County.

Denham’s campaign countered that the latest documentation from Stanislaus County shows Harder never voted in the 10th District before filing to run for Congress expect for the 2008 presidential primary.

Harder graduated from Modesto High and his father still owns and operates an optometry clinic.

Denham owns an almond orchard in Waterford. He also founded and owns Denham Plastics that specializes in agricultural products in Salinas.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com