An unusual dynamic in this race:

A 17-year incumbent who has never stood for political office before faced off with a campaign veteran. How's that?

Incumbent San Bernardino City Clerk Rachel Clark was appointed to her position in the early nineties and never faced a political campaign for what is normally a low-key bureaucratic position involving business licensing and the processing of municipal political candidates. Still, the city clerk performs an important function for local government and the 2007 election for this position certainly proved colourful, if nothing else.

In short, Rachel Clark walloped to victory over her opponent, former state legislative analyst Joseph Turner. While many insiders never had any doubts Clark would prevail, the question from insiders was by how much Clark would prevail.

NOTE: In addition to other his other activities, Joseph Turner is a contributing author for Red County San Bernardino.

Observers watching the Clark-Turner race didn't have to wonder on who would win for very long. From the initial reporting of the early postal votes at 8:30 PM on Election Night, Clark jumped to a huge 2:1 lead and never looked back.

Clark can attribute her victory to her being endorsed by every elected official in the city of San Bernardino, including the pro-Morris and anti-Morris camps who are normally at each other's throats on a daily basis. Clark raised a sizable warchest which she used for campaign signs, both large and small. Clark's money also allowed her to mail campaign material to voters in the closing days of the campaign.

Joe Turner, after performing well in last year's school district elections, decided to enter the race for city clerk towards the end of candidate filing. Raising issues concerning the incumbent's possible failure to act on misdirected sales tax revenue, unlicensed group homes for convicted sex offenders, and improving the quality of life for city residents, Turner campaigned with little money and nearly no institutional support, aside from help from the San Bernardino Police Officers Association.

If nothing else, Turner made an impact with his innovative and creative campaign mail, which deviated from the normal grip-and-grin boilerplate postcards of candidates posed in action shots looking hard at work. Instead, Joseph Turner prepared unusual mail designed to inform residents on the whereabouts of sex offenders in San Bernardino. While original in nature, it appears they weren't enough of an impact to change the race's outcome.

With the results, it's clear Rachel Clark will return to her position, but what about Joe Turner?

Well, given the young man's ability to unite two endlessly warring factions together to fight for a common cause (that cause being Turner's defeat), perhaps Joseph Turner is now ready for the United States diplomatic corps.

I mean, if Joseph Turner can unite the pro-Penman and pro-Morris camps together, imagine what Turner could do in the Middle East.