The county elections office Tuesday was ready to certify the
Election Day results, while the list of new leaders taking office
include such positions as sheriff, county supervisor and city
council. The elections office late last week finished counting the
last of the provisional ballots
– there had been about 500 left over after Nov. 2 – and followed
up with the required canvassing that is now finished.
The county elections office Tuesday was ready to certify the Election Day results, while the list of new leaders taking office include such positions as sheriff, county supervisor and city council. The elections office late last week finished counting the last of the provisional ballots – there had been about 500 left over after Nov. 2 – and followed up with the required canvassing that is now finished.
None of the results changed after the counting of the provisional ballots. But one prominent race did change outcomes after Election Day, as Robert Scattini overcame newcomer Sergio Montanez during counting of the last 2,500 mail-in ballots that had remained and the additional 500 provisionals.
Scattini won the District 2 seat representing the west side for the second time. He served from 2002 to 2006 before a defeat that year to Councilwoman Eugenia Sanchez, who did not seek reelection. Scattini outlasted Montanez by 14 votes. Scattini gained 406 votes to 392 for Montanez, or 36.2 percent to 34.9 percent, according to the results.
Head elections official Joe Paul Gonzalez noted how candidates have five days after an official certification to file for a recount. The state, as of this year, no longer requires a recount of any kind, so the candidates would have to pay for anymore tallying, he said.
That might come into play in the closest possible race – as it stands, a one-vote margin for the third and final seat available for the Aromas Water District. There, Stuart Cardott edged Marcus Dutra for the last spot with 204 votes to 203. Bonnie Mahler and Sylvia Borchard have comfortable leads for the two other seats, according to the results.
In other local races:
– Jerry Muenzer won the District 4 race for supervisor to represent south county with 2,200 votes, or 51.2 percent, to 2,085 votes, or 48.5 percent for Phil Fortino.
– Darren Thompson won the race for sheriff with 8,787 votes, or 57.1 percent, to 6,524 votes, or 42.4 percent for Pat Turturici.
– Pauline Valdivia won a fourth term on the Hollister City Council representing District 3, to represent the south-central side, by gaining 69.2 percent to 30.2 percent for challenger Scott McPhail.
– In two races for open seats on the Gavilan College board, incumbent Kent Child will be joined by newcomer Tony Ruiz in representing the Hollister area, while Walt Glines won the available seat representing Gilroy, and Morgan Hill’s Laura Perry ran unopposed.
– For San Benito High School’s three open seats, Tim Shellito, Bill Tiffany and Mary Encinias won out, with nearly 500 votes separating them from the nearest competitor, incumbent Steve De Lay.
– For the Hollister School District, the three seats in an eight-person race are going to Michal Query, Joe Navarro and Elsa Rodriguez, with nearly 300 votes separating her from David Redman.
– For the Southside School District’s three seats, Bob Tiffany, Scott Gilbert and Jeanne Liem have won out convincingly.
– In San Juan Bautista, for three open seats, Tony Boch, Jolene Cosio and Andy Moore have won by handy margins.
– In the races for the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, Bill Hunter won a two-year seat, while Magdalena Medina and Jeffrey Hancock won four-year positions.
For other results, go to www.sbcvote.us.
