Restaurant owner Matthew Oliver pulls ahead of attorney David Bass in race for Rocklin City Council

The race for a two-year seat on Rocklin’s City Council after a tumultuous political battle took a twist.

After early results showed attorney David Bass taking a large lead, results Wednesday morning showed restauranteur Matthew Oliver made up ground and is now leading with 51% of the vote. Bass has 49%.

Bass had led with 55% to Oliver’s 45% in early results Tuesday night.

Bass and Oliver battled it out over the last months for a chance to have a seat in Rocklin’s governing body. Oliver drew attention to the race over the last two years through his outspoken challenges to the state over COVID-19 lockdowns and other pandemic measures.

His Roseville restaurant, House of Oliver, became a symbol for pandemic resistance, as he refused to close it after curfew and bucked public health dictates.

His actions drew ire from some — but also shot him to prominence among others. He told The Bee that his experience during the pandemic drove him to become involved in local politics for the first time.

His opponent, David Bass, ran a very different campaign. A sitting member of the Rocklin Planning Commission, Bass said he’d draw on his experience as a member of the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce, a deputy district attorney and deputy attorney general to work for the city.

Bass was endorsed by Rocklin Mayor Bill Haldin and City Councilwoman Jill Gayaldo, as well as the city’s police and firefighter unions.

Halldin and Gayaldo — two incumbents for four-year terms on the at-large council who did not face opponents — were re-elected.

Halldin received 50% of the vote and Gayaldo has 49%.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 8:43 PM.