District Attorney Dennis Stout is facing a double-barreled challenge from one of his veteran prosecutors and a local lawyer.

Deputy District Attorney Mike Ramos has characterized his boss as a vindictive politician. He also has made ethics an issue, criticizing an incident in which Stout's office was forced to relinquish prosecution of Supervisor Jerry Eaves to state prosecutors after top aides helped one of Eaves' political adversaries.

Stout said he played no role in the wrongdoing and demoted those who did. He emphasizes his management experience, saying he has greatly expanded and modernized the district attorney's office.

Challenger Frank Guzman is a former Riverside County prosecutor who now practices law in Riverside. Guzman, who lives in Grand Terrace, ran for the Democratic nomination in the 62nd Assembly District in 1968 and placed third in a 1994 campaign to replace Riverside County District Attorney Grover Trask.

Two supervisorial races

In the 2nd District, Supervisor Jon Mikels, who is running for his fifth term, faces two challengers.

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Paul Biane announced his run against Mikels several months ago, citing local cities' disagreements with Mikels over development issues that have led to lawsuits.

Bill Peters, an Alta Loma disaster-management analyst, is trying again after having lost to Mikels in 1998.

In the 4th District, Supervisor Fred Aguiar, running for his second term, also will face a familiar challenger. Paul Vincent Avila, an Ontario resident and retired state employment counselor, lost to Aguiar in a race for state Assembly in 1996.

Two challenge assessor

The assessor's race also may draw some interest, with incumbent Donald Williamson running against one of his predecessors and a former top aide.

Former Assistant Assessor Linda Foster, who worked with Williamson until January, announced her candidacy in May. She has criticized the management of the office as well as the settlement of a sexual-harassment claim against Williamson. The claim was settled for $65,000.

R. Gordon Young, who retired in 1994 after 16 years as assessor, jumped into the race last month. He also has been critical of Williamson's management.

Williamson has defended his record, saying he will point to his accomplishments in the race.

The coroner's race also will see an incumbent facing a former employee. Brian McCormick, who has held the office since 1982, faces a challenge from Monika Rohlinger, who quit her county job as a deputy coroner last year to form her own private autopsy company in Redlands.

Council races

Two cities will hold council races in March. Colton will fill a seat vacated by Donald Sanders, who recently pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges. Loma Linda will hold its regularly scheduled election, and two seats will be open.

Councilman Floyd Peterson, who teaches statistics at Loma Linda University, is seeking his fourth term on Loma Linda's council, while Councilman Robert Ziprick, a lawyer, is running for a second term. Leland Lubinsky, a bookseller, is the only challenger.

In Colton, three candidates, Bill Henes, Ramon Hernandez and Gwen Brown, are running. A fourth candidate, Jose Olivar, took out papers, but it could not be confirmed Friday whether he had filed them because the Colton city clerk was not available.

Judicial races

In the courts, the county's top-ranking judge is being challenged by a High Desert criminal-defense lawyer, whom the court is suing over allegations that he overbilled the county $58,000.

Hesperia attorney Robert O'Connor is running against Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberta McPeters. O'Connor has said the billing allegation was sparked by his political challenge. He argues that McPeters deserves to be ousted because she doesn't hear court cases.

McPeters has said that the job was exclusively administrative before she took over two years ago. She has helped unify the Superior and Municipal courts, copes with financial challenges and administers a system of 62 judges and 11 commissioners, she said.

No opponents surfaced in four county races, leaving Auditor/Controller Larry Walker, Treasurer Dick Larsen, Sheriff Gary Penrod and County Superintendent of Schools Herb Fischer unchallenged.

Staff writers Rich Brooks, Sharon McNary and Darrell Santschi contributed to this report.

Reach Imran Ghori at (909) 890-4446 or ighori@pe.com