All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent
Local elections

Benicia election results – Nov 10, 2016, 7pm – Patterson, Young, Campbell extend leads

By Roger Straw, November 10, 2016
Click here for updated LATEST Benicia Election Results as of Nov. 16. (Numbers shown below are as first reported on election night.)

Solano County seal (400x400)The Solano County Registrar of Voters issued a day’s end report at 5:15pm today, showing that all Benicia races remain as they were on election night.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson‘s lead increased by 45 votes after today’s counting.  Her margin of victory has increased from 109 on Wednesday morning at 3:37am, to 188 on Wednesday at 5:37pm, to a new lead tonight of 233 votes over challenger Mark Hughes.  Hughes phoned Mayor Patterson on Wednesday to concede the election.

City Councilmember-elect Steve Young‘s lead over Tom Campbell decreased by 6 today and his lead over Christina Strawbridge increased by 3. Young remains the top vote-getter, now by a margin of 255 votes over Campbell and 710 votes over 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 also extended her lead over Mike Ioakimedes – by 480 votes, maintaining a margin of 54% to 46%.

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
Steve Young 6008 26.86 2016 4459
Tom Campbell 5753 25.72 1788 3965
Christina Strawbridge 5298 23.69 1604 3694
Lionel Largaespada 3635 16.25 1233 2402
George Oakes 1590 7.11 565 1025
Write-in 82 0.37 33 49
Over Votes 16 2 14
Under Votes 5334 2121 3213
Mayor
 Candidate Total votes   Vote % Election day  Vote by mail 
 Elizabeth Patterson 6675 50.73 2216 4459
 Mark Hughes  6442 48.96 2202 4240
Write In 42 0.32 15 27
Over Votes 1 1 0
Under Votes 698 250 448

The County website shows additional as yet uncounted ballots: Vote-by-Mail est. 9,450, and Provisionals est. 12,464. A chart shows that Benicia has 756 provisional ballots to be counted. We will keep you posted on further updates
.

Local elections

Benicia Election Results – Nov. 9, 2016, 7pm – Patterson, Young and Campbell extend their leads

By Roger Straw, November 9, 2016
Click here for updated LATEST Benicia Election Results as of Nov. 16. (Numbers shown below are as first reported on election night.)

Many mail-in ballots counted, more mail-ins and provisional ballots yet to be counted

Solano County seal (400x400)The Solano County Registrar of Voters issued a day’s end report at 5:28pm today, showing that all Benicia races remain as they were on election night.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson‘s lead increased by 79 votes, to a still very slim 188 vote margin over challenger Mark Hughes.

City Councilmember-elect Steve Young‘s lead over Tom Campbell increased by 62 and his lead over Christina Strawbridge increased by 193.  Young remains the top vote-getter, now by a margin of 261 votes over Campbell and 707 votes over Strawbridge.

Solano County Supervisor-elect Monica Brown also extended her lead over Mike Ioakimedes by 183 votes, a comfortable margin of 54% to 46%.

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
Steve Young 5617 26.98 2022 3595
Tom Campbell 5356 25.72 1788 3568
Christina Strawbridge 4910 23.58 1604 3306
Lionel Largaespada 3384 16.25 1233 2151
George Oakes 1475 7.08 565 910
Write-in 79 0.38 33 46
Mayor
 Candidate Total votes   Vote % Election day  Vote by mail 
 Elizabeth Patterson 6193 50.61 2216 3977
 Mark Hughes  6005 49.08 2202 3803

NOTE: The County website shows additional as yet uncounted ballots: Vote-by-Mail est. 21,000, and Provisionals est. 12,800. We will keep you posted on further updates.

Local elections

Benicia election results – Nov 9, 2016, 7AM

By Roger Straw
Click here for updated LATEST Benicia Election Results as of Nov. 16. (Numbers shown below are as first reported on election night.)
By Roger Straw, November 9, 2016
BELOW IN ORANGE ARE FROM THE SOLANO COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, 11/9 AT 5:38PM (The new numbers include late arriving vote-by-mail ballots. An estimated 21000 additional County mail-in ballots and 12,800 County provisional ballots remain to be counted. Stay tuned for further updates.)

Winners: Elizabeth Patterson, Steve Young, Tom Campbell, Monica Brown

A lot of us are licking our wounds and fearing the worst for the next 4 years of Donald Trump’s presidency with Republican control in congress. Unbelievable! …But we take some comfort in an excellent outcome in our local races.

ep-vjot-h_2016-11-05
Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson

Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson won re-election to a third term – in a squeaker! Patterson 6193, Hughes 6005 (a margin of 188 votes, up from a 109 vote margin in the Registrar’s first report). All precincts have been counted, but many late arriving mail-in ballots and “provisional ballots” are not yet included, so final numbers will change. Outcome very likely will remain the same.

Steve Young, Benicia City Councilmember
Steve Young, Benicia City Councilmember

Benicia’s newest City Council member, Steve Young was the top vote getter in yesterday’s election. Young 5617, Campbell 5356, Strawbridge 4910, Largaespada 3384, Oakes 1475. (Note that every vote margin increased over the earlier report.)  And again, but many late arriving mail-in ballots and “provisional ballots” are not yet included, so final numbers will change.  In this race, the outcome will almost certainly remain the same.

tomcampbell
Tom Campbell

Our congratulations to runner-up incumbent Councilmember Tom Campbell, who will serve a 4th term on Benicia’s City Council. Tom’s strong opposition to Valero’s oil train proposal was key to gaining the Council’s unanimous vote to deny the project. Incumbent Councilmember Christina Strawbridge was unseated. We offer condolence and well-wishes to Christina. Her decision to oppose to crude by rail was also key in the project’s defeat.  Planning Commissioner George Oakes‘ bid was unsuccessful.  George played a significant role in the Planning Commission’s unanimous decision to deny Valero’s project.

monica-brown-229
Monica Brown

In Solano County, Benicia is located in the 2nd Supervisorial District. Candidate Monica Brown defeated Benicia’s Mike Ioakimedes, 14156 to 12078, (increasing her margin of victory by 183 votes).  Congratulations to Monica, and good wishes to Mike.

 

Details available at Solano County Registrar of Voters.

Benicia City Council, Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, Benicia Vice Mayor Steve Young, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Local elections, Mariko Yamada, Mike Ioakimedes, Monica Brown

ROGER STRAW – Election recommendations

Benicia Independent Endorsements

By Roger Straw, November 4, 2016

hillary_clintonAs I prepare to head to the polls on Tuesday, my decisions have finally been made. Not all were difficult to make: it’s of historic importance that we NOT elect Donald Trump. I will be voting for our first woman president, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

kamala_harrisMy vote for Kamala Harris for Senate is a no-brainer: as California Attorney General, Harris was our highest-ranking ally in the David and Goliath battle against oil trains here in Benicia! (With many thanks to Deputy AG Scott Lichtig.)

Mariko Yamada State Senate 2016Mariko Yamada will need every one of our votes if she is to beat the money-machine of her opponent, Bill Dodd. Dodd only recently became a Democrat, has accepted huge donations, and benefited from independent expenditures by big corporate interests, including the oil and gas industries.  I’ve known Mariko for years – she is to be trusted.  I once told her I’d vote for her for President of the U.S.!

monica-brown-229mike_ioakimedes_solanocountysupervisorAt the Solano County Supervisor level, it gets a bit hairy for me.  I respect, know and like both Mike Ioakimedes and Monica Brown.  I share progressive Democratic values with both of them. Earlier, I endorsed Mike when he weighed in against Valero’s crude by rail proposal. As an influential longtime Benicia leader, his added voice was highly significant at that time when we were facing into a final City Council vote on crude by rail. Monica strongly opposed Valero’s proposal, too, but when I’m forced to mark my ballot, I’ve decided I’ll vote for Mike Ioakimedes. Sorry, Monica.

elizabethpattersonBenicia Planning Commissioner Steve Young, candidate for Benicia City CouncilMy focus has been almost exclusively on local Benicia races. I am actively supporting Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s re-election, and Planning Commissioner Steve Young for City Council. I like several of the other candidates for City Council, but I’m focusing entirely on electing Steve. Here are my previous posts on Elizabeth and Steve:

Unlike THE DONALD and many of his right-wing cohorts, you and I will accept the outcome of a fair and impartial election and join forces with our newly elected leaders, working for a better future. See you on the other side of election day!