A California candidate for the Board of Supervisors has died after a fall while campaigning, but his campaign intends to continue his bid for election in November. Bruce Giudici, 68, died on Monday after falling and hitting his head while door-knocking in Calaveras County on Sunday.

The fall occurred on a steep driveway, and the homeowner called 911. Giudici was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital, where he died the following day, according to his campaign.

The deadline to remove deceased candidates from the ballot in California was Aug. 27, meaning Giudici will remain listed for the District 5 supervisor seat. His campaign has stated its intention to continue his election efforts to prevent his opponent, Clyde Clapp, from returning to the board.

"Bruce's fight will not end today. We intend to continue his campaign and honor Bruce's wishes by working to elect him in November," his campaign said in a social media post. Campaign volunteer Carrie Biggs-Adams told KCRA that the campaign hopes voters will support a candidate they plan to propose to the governor for appointment should Giudici win.

Giudici, who had run for the supervisor seat multiple times, described himself as a fiscal hawk. He cited his background in government fiscal oversight and experience with audits, noting the county's budgetary deficit. "It's not a substantial deficit, but it is a deficit," Giudici told the Calaveras Enterprise. "That sort of attention to detail is something that we need on that board, and so, I think I will help fill that role."

Primary election results showed Giudici finishing first with 1,061 votes, ahead of Clapp's 1,023 votes. Giudici had previously criticized Clapp's prior service on the board from 2017 to 2018, stating on his website that Clapp "had his chance to make meaningful change for District 5 eight years ago and failed."

Clapp told KCRA that Giudici's death is tragic and that his family is in his thoughts. He noted that he and Giudici had run against each other three times previously.

If Giudici wins the election, the governor will be responsible for appointing a replacement. The campaign stated its intention to work towards electing Giudici to honor his wishes. The race was projected to be close, based on the primary results, with Giudici narrowly leading his opponent.