Stanislaus County Assessor Don H. Gaekle has announced that he will retire at the end of the year.

After over 12 years as the elected assessor and nearly 40 years serving the residents of Stanislaus County, Gaekle will not seek reelection in the June 2026 primary.

Gaekle began his career in the Assessor’s Office on May 1, 1986, as an appraiser. He rose to Assistant Assessor of Valuation before being appointed Assessor in October 2013. He was elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022. During his tenure, Gaekle has championed modernization and efficiency, ensuring that the Assessor’s Office delivers exceptional customer service and maintains fair and equitable valuations.

“It has been an honor to work with an outstanding staff and serve the residents of Stanislaus County for nearly four decades,” said Gaekle. “I am thankful for the trust placed in me and for the dedicated professionals in the office who have worked tirelessly to uphold the values of fairness and transparency, and for the relationships established with very talented assessors and their staffs throughout California.”