One Tough Marine

Col. Paul Cook (ret.)

Our County Supervisor, fighting for us.

About Col. Paul Cook (ret.), Our County Supervisor

Col. Paul Cook (ret.) served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps and in the Vietnam War. During his 26-year military career, Cook was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with a Valor Device.

Following his service in the Marine Corps, Cook served in local government to advance policies that protect working families and law-abiding citizens. Cook’s neighbors elected him to serve on the local Town Council. In 2006, Col. Cook was elected to the California State Assembly, serving three terms and working across the aisle to find common ground. Cook was one of the only Republicans to serve as a committee chairman in the State Assembly despite Democrats holding the majority.

In 2012, Col. Paul Cook (ret.) was elected to represent the 8th Congressional District, running on a platform to lower taxes, a robust national defense, support our veterans, and public access to public lands.

As our County Supervisor, Col. Cook has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement officers safeguarding our communities from perilous criminals. As the High Desert communities expand, Paul Cook actively seeks housing solutions, addresses infrastructure challenges, and supports our Veterans.

Col. Cook has maintained a lifelong commitment to public education throughout his career. He has taught history at a local community college, California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB), and the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Col. Paul Cook (ret.) has a Master’s in Political Science from UCR and a Master’s in Public Administration from CSUSB. He is a member of the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion. He lives in Apple Valley with his wife, Jeanne.

On the Issues

Economy

As our county supervisor, Col. Cook has been fighting for policies encouraging job creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship. By reducing regulatory burdens, small businesses can succeed in our region. Col. Cook (ret.) collaborated with his colleagues to bolster the County’s economic development department to help businesses succeed, including the 2,100 manufacturers operating in our county because of the cost-effective facilities, cost of land, and abundant skilled labor. The county has also funded the High Desert Training Center, which is designed to provide hands-on training for the rapidly growing manufacturing industry as well as industrial maintenance, pre-engineering, robotics, information technology, and much more.

Safer Neighborhoods

During his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Col. Paul Cook (ret.) protected our nation from foreign threats; as our County Supervisor, he has stood alongside our law enforcement officers who safeguard our communities from criminals. As our County Supervisor, Cook’s advocacy on the County’s budget and collaboration with the Sheriff’s Department, the High Desert communities have added over 60 officers in our communities. Col. Cook was instrumental in allocating special funding for the Sheriff’s Department’s Operation Consequences, a specialized operation focusing on the destruction of criminal street gangs and finding individuals involved in illegal firearm possession, production, and trafficking. To date, this operation has yielded nearly 1,000 felony arrests, thousands of illegal firearm seizures, and nearly 200 pounds of fentanyl off our streets.

Cutting Government Waste, Fraud and Abuse

On the Board of Supervisors, Col. Paul Cook (ret.) demonstrated a commitment to reducing government waste, fraud, and abuse. Col. Cook and the Board worked to eliminate inefficiencies and increased the funding for the District Attorney’s welfare fraud unit. Col. Cook also worked to implement a revised County Charter to add additional measures to prevent corruption, establish term limits on the Board of Supervisors, increase government transparency, and elect official accountability.

Homelessness and Mental Health

As our County Supervisor, Col. Paul Cook (ret.) collaborated with officials to aid numerous homeless veterans in San Bernardino County by facilitating their transition into permanent housing. His leadership was pivotal in devising a comprehensive homeless strategic plan for the County. This plan integrated various pathways to permanent housing and included measures such as conservatorships to reduce the homeless population. Furthermore, specific funding was allocated to establish a specialized Sheriff’s HOPE team tailored for the high-desert region. Through this initiative, deputies actively engage with unhoused individuals, providing them access to services and mental health referrals, leveraging the provisions of Laura’s Law for our most gravely disabled.