By Roger Straw, December 2, 2016
[Editor: The sweep of local elections by three candidates who strongly opposed Valero Crude By Rail is to be celebrated. Our next four years in Benicia will hopefully be witness to a new majority on Council, with a vision for progressive values.  – RS]

The Solano County Registrar of Voters issued a FINAL day’s end report at 4:50pm Friday 12/02. Mayor Patterson has won re-election. Steve Young has been elected and Tom Campbell has been re-elected to the City Council.

A public reception for incoming and outgoing elected officials will be held at City Hall, 250 East L Street, at 6 PM on Tuesday, December 6, followed by a swearing in ceremony and a Council vote for Vice Mayor at the Council meeting.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson‘s margin of victory over challenger Mark Hughes nearly tripled since the original count, increasing from 109 votes on the morning after the election, to 332. Hughes phoned Mayor Patterson on the day after the election to concede.

City Councilmember-elect Steve Young was the top vote-getter by a margin of 292 votes over
second-place re-elected Tom Campbell and 808 votes over unseated Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. Traditionally in Benicia, the Council candidate with the most votes becomes Vice Mayor until the next election cycle. Congratulations, Vice-mayor-elect Young !

Solano County Supervisor-elect Monica Brown defeated Mike Ioakimedes by 3616 votes (18463 Brown to 14847 Ioakimedes).

Here is a table showing Benicia details, taken from Steve Young’s website:

City Council (top two are elected)

Candidate	Total votes	Vote %	Election day	Vote by mail	Pro-visional
Steve Young	6720	26.82	2022	4472	226
Tom Campbell	6428	25.66	1788	4479	161
Christina Strawbridge	5912	23.59	1604	4134	174
Lionel Largaespada	4099	16.36	1233	2718	148
George Oakes	1805	7.20	565	1173	67
Write-in	96	0.38	33	59	4
Over Votes	16		2	14	0
Under Votes	6334		2121	3733	480

Mayor

Candidate	Total votes	Vote %	Election day	Vote by mail	Pro-visional
Elizabeth Patterson	7548	50.96	2216	5056	276
Mark Hughes	7216	48.72	2202	4761	253
Write In	47	0.32	15	32	0
Over Votes	1		1	0	0
Under Votes	893		250	542	101