Sacramento region’s latest election results are in. Here’s where things stand on Friday evening
Three days after Election Day, officials across the Sacramento region on Friday issued a fresh batch of election results, but the outcome of several key races still hang in the balance.
Between the four counties, more than 350,000 votes remained unprocessed with the most being in Sacramento County (260,050) and Placer County (67,115). Officials are expected to give updated vote totals on Tuesdays and Fridays until all the votes are counted.
Still, election officials were making progress — Sacramento County, for example, had processed more than 411,000 of the estimated 671,000 votes cast, showing a preliminary turnout of at least 75%. Placer County officials said on Wednesday that it expected turnout to be 80% to 90% or more.
The counties are expected to continue to receive ballots by mail through Tuesday, so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day, according to county officials and the Secretary of State’s Office. The next batch of results are expected to be released on Tuesday.
There’s still no clear leader in the race to be Sacramento’s next mayor. County election officials added 30,000 votes to the tally, which showed Assemblyman Kevin McCarty holding on to a lead over epidemiologist Flo Cofer, 54% to 46%.
Cofer had made some gains in the latest update, but roughly 200,000 votes were expected to be cast based on past elections, leaving some 80,000 to 90,000 votes to be counted.
Although Cofer’s percentage has been growing just slightly in the last four result drops, that trend matters, said political consultant Paul Mitchell. At the end of Election Night in the March 5 primary, Cofer was in fourth place. As more results came in, she ultimately ended up in first on March 26.
Results also are still in the air for the City Council’s 2nd District seat in North Sacramento. In Friday’s update, Roger Dickinson remained ahead of Stephen Walton by a margin of more than 3 to 2. The former Assemblyman maintained a 62% share of the vote while the Realtor gained a handful of votes after 2,000 new votes were added by county election officials.
Sacramento County election results
In the largest of the four-county capital region, several races showed clear outcomes despite the number of outstanding ballots.
In the race for Elk Grove mayor, Bobbie Singh-Allen held on to a commanding lead against two challengers and was poised to be elected to a third term. With Friday’s vote update, Singh-Allen had 69% of the counted votes compared to Brian Pastor (20%) and Lynn Wheat (11%).
In Folsom City Council district races, 2nd District candidate Justin Raithel remained ahead in the latest batch of results, holding on to 40% of the vote to Dustin Silva’s 31% with Hla Elkhatib close behind at 29%. A little more than 400 votes separate the top contenders. Barbara Leary, a candidate for the city’s 4th District, remained ahead after roughly 500 votes were added from Tuesday’s totals. She had 48% of the vote, seven points ahead of Jim Ortega; Gul Khan garnered just under 11% of the vote.
In the race for Citrus Heights’ 1st City Council District, Kelsey N. Nelson is holding on to her lead from Tuesday’s initial results with 65% of the vote, well ahead Amie Burgundy Brown (18%) and Andrew Wayne Saunders (17%).
In the race for Rancho Cordova’s 3rd City Council District, Joe Little is maintaining his significant lead from Tuesday’s early results with 47% of the vote. Chris Mann follows in second place with 28%, while Sergiy Pronin and Amber Verdugo trail with 16% and 8%, respectively.
In Rancho Cordova’s 4th District, incumbent Siri Pulipati remains in the lead in a tight race with challenger Leroy Tripette, 58% to 42%.
Incumbents also appear to be cruising to new terms in the races for Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s board. In Ward 1, Brandon Rose is holding a sizable lead (67%) over Bob Wichwith (24%) and Chet Corcos (9%) for the area that covers Orangevale, Citrus Heights, parts of Folsom and a sliver of Placer County. In Ward 5, which covers downtown, Natomas and North Sacramento, Rob Kerth is maintaining his position with 58% of the vote against Fatima Malik (27%) and Nkiruka Catherine Ohaegbu (15%).
In the race to succeed longtime trustee Pamela Hayes in the Los Rios Community College District Board’s Area 5, Colette Harris-Mathews has taken a commanding lead with 73% of the vote over opponent Ralph Merletti (27%). The area represents most of south Sacramento.
A pair of Elk Grove Unified School District trustees are in danger of losing their seats to challengers. In the district’s Area 1, Susan Davis held a commanding 61% to 39% lead over incumbent Anthony Perez. In Area 3, incumbent Carmine Forcina was trailing by double digits to Heidi Moore, who carried nearly 46% of the vote. In Area 6, Jennifer Ballerini held a commanding 2-to-1 lead over Jacqueline Ortiz for the open seat vacated by trustee Nancy Chaires Espinoza.
Sacramento County ballot measure results
Measure O, the $415 million bond measure to fund upgrades to facilities and equipment for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, maintained its lead among Metro Fire’s Sacramento County constituents. More than 68% voted in support of the measure, ahead of the two-thirds support needed for the bond to pass.
Metro Fire, one of the state’s largest fire agencies, serves more than 720,000 people across much of unincorporated Sacramento County, the cities of Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova and a sliver of Placer County. In Placer County, 54% of voters supported the measure.
Bond measures had strong showings in Sacramento City Unified and Folsom-Cordova Unified School District; while in Elk Grove Unified School District, the state’s fifth-largest, its Measure N was in a tougher fight.
Sacramento City Unified School District’s Measure D was passing Friday with 72% of the vote. In Folsom-Cordova, voters were approving a pair of bonds for the district’s elementary, middle and high schools by comfortable margins. Measures R and S each were passing with more than 64% of the vote.
In Elk Grove Unified School District, voters were considering the $542 million Measure N bond to repair, modernize and build schools and career technical facilities. Three days after the vote with nearly 90,000 votes added to the count, the bond maintained its 58% approval, narrowly ahead of the 55% needed for approval. Elk Grove Unified and city leaders endorsed the measure, but taxpayers groups and opponents said too few resources were being directed toward the district’s Rancho Cordova-area neighborhoods.
San Juan Unified School District’s Measure P was holding on to a 3-to-2 lead. District voters were asked to consider a $950 million bond to modernize classrooms, repair roofs, provide safe drinking water, remove toxic asbestos and lead paint from aging schools and improve security on its campuses.
Galt Joint Union Elementary School District is another south Sacramento County district in a tough fight to save its school bond measure. Measure H was struggling to reach the 55% threshold needed to pass, leading 54%-46% Friday.
Placer County election results
The most high-profile race in Placer County this year included the contest to represent Rocklin and Penryn on the Board of Supervisors.
The race for the 3rd District seat was only separated by about 350 votes as two candidates squared off to clinch a seat held for nearly two decades by incumbent Jim Holmes. Friday’s results did not drastically shift the margins.
Mike Murray, who worked as the campaign manager for Rocklin Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, who also serves as the vice chair for the Placer County Republican Party, was ahead with 50% of the vote over opponent Anthony Demattei.
Demattei, who sits on the Placer County Planning Commission board, notched about 49% of votes.
The 3rd District had been represented by Jim Holmes for about 18 years before new boundaries were drawn for the district in 2022. Holmes then represented both the 3rd District and 5th District, according to the weekly newspaper Sierra Sun. He sought the 5th District spot but didn’t collect enough votes to make it past the March’s primary.
But the sprawling 5th District seat — stretching from Auburn to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border — was clearer.
Incumbent Cindy Gustafson garnered 54% of the vote compared to Wayne Nader’s 46%. Nader has a long career in banking and served eight years on the Placer County Planning Commission.
Voters in the city of Rocklin had the option to elect three city council members who have no term limits.
Incumbents secured victory in the contest. Mayor Greg Janda got 29% of votes, Councilman David Bass got about 27% of votes and Councilman Ken Broadway got 26% of votes.
A man supported by Lincoln politicians and involved in the town’s politics won the District 3 race for Lincoln City Council.
John Reedy trumped his three opponents with 55% of the vote. He served on the Lincoln Planning Commission and gained endorsements from Mayor Dan Karleskint, Mayor Pro-Tem Holly Andreatta and City Treasurer Richard Pearl, according to the candidate’s statement of interest published by Placer County.
Karen Alvord, a candidate for the District 5 seat on Roseville’s City Council, secured 49% of votes over four opponents. She was owner of downtown Roseville’s A Dash of Panache tea parlor before it closed and held leadership positions in nonprofits.
Alvord will most likely succeed her own husband, Scott Alvord, who termed out of the same seat after winning elections in 2020 and 2016. She was endorsed by several law enforcement unions and the Placer County Democratic Party.
The Placer County Election’s Office will publish its next tally of results Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Measure B appeared to be short of the needed votes to boost transportation coffers in the western cities of Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville.
After the latest batch of returns, the initiative requiring a two-thirds majority still had just 63% of the vote, in line with early returns after polls closed.
Measure B would have added a half percent to retail purchases in Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln for 30 years. Officials estimated it would have raised $41 million annually, and they planned to spend just over half of that money on highways and making roads wider.
The county had planned to use the revenues to provide the “local match” demanded by many state and federal grants.
A similar transportation tax failed in the county in 2016, securing 64% of votes — a majority, but less than the two-thirds threshold needed to pass.
Yolo County election results
In West Sacramento, Mayor Martha Guerrero is vying for reelection against challenger and city councilwoman Dawnté Early — both members of the city’s history-making all-women city council. Guerrero posted a 59% to 41% advantage in her bid for a second term.
The region’s closest race may be for city council in West Sacramento’s 2nd District between Norma Alcala and city parks commissioner Emiliano Rosas, where just 13 votes separate the two. Alcala leads 1,390 votes to 1,377, 50.2% to 49.8%, in the latest count Friday. District 2 encompasses the city’s downtown, Triangle and Iron Triangle neighborhoods and stretches west along the length of West Capitol Avenue.
In West Sacramento’s westside 3rd District, incumbent and Sacramento County criminal prosecutor Quirina Orozco holds a 57%-43% advantage in her bid for reelection.
Candidates are challenging for an open seat on the Davis City Council to succeed 2nd District councilman Will Arnold whose term ends in December. Linda Deos has the lead with 51% of the vote over Victor Lagunes at 28%. Dillan Horton trails with 20% of the vote.
Voters are divided on West Sacramento’s Measure O, a one-cent sales tax to fund roadway repair, pay for police and fire protection and address homelessness; as well as maintain the city’s parks, trails and public spaces. The measure stands at 54% to 46% in the latest count Friday, with 55% needed for approval.
Davis council members Josh Chapman and Donna Neville are running unopposed.
Yolo County ballot measure results
Woodland Joint Unified School District’s Measure P appeared to be headed for defeat after 53% of voters said no to the bond that would pay for repairs and improvements for school facilities.
Davis Measure Q, one of a number of city-proposed sales tax measures across the region, was receiving strong support from voters. The proposed one-cent sales tax increase would raise $11 million a year for public safety, city infrastructure and remedies to address homelessness. Measure Q was leading with 62% of the vote.
In Yolo school board races, Lea Darrah led by a wide margin over Elizabeth (Lizzy) Griffith for a seat on the Davis Joint Unified School District’s governing board, with 72% of the vote.
In West Sacramento’s Washington Unified School District, Jannette Hunt had a 59%-41% lead over Patrice Griffith in trustee Area 3; while incumbent Jackie Thu-Huong Wong held a 58% to 42% lead in the district’s Area 4 over Eleanor Sanchez.
In Woodland, voters were rejecting a one-cent city sales tax measure. Woodland Measure U was losing by a 54% to 46% gap, trailing with walk-up, mail-in, and Election Day voters.
David Moreno is leading Fred Lopez by a 56% to 44% margin in the race for Woodland City Council District 4. Incumbent Mayra Vega holds a commanding lead over Chukwunedum (Chuck) Amajioyi to retain her seat in council District 5, with 65% of the vote.
Longtime Woodland council member Tom Stallard ran unopposed in the city’s District 2.
Bill Biasi is in a tight race with Jesse Loren for a seat on the Winters City Council. Biasi and Loren are separated by roughly 150 votes, with Biasi holding on to a 53%-47% advantage.
The city of Winters also proposed a one-cent sales tax to raise $1.2 million a year to fund emergency response and public safety; parks and youth programs and core city services. Measure S was leading by a 60% to 40% margin.
El Dorado County election results
The county seat of El Dorado County held a contest to elect two at-large city council members.
Just a few dozen votes separate three candidates: Placerville Mayor Jackie Neau, Councilman Michael Saragosa and political newcomer Ryan Carter.
While Neau and Saragosa were ahead on Election Day, Carter rocketed to the top with 34% of votes with the latest round of election results.
Still, Neau and Saragosa were not far behind. They collected 33% a piece. The spread across all three candidates in the two-seat race is less than 50 votes.
But one race has been thrown into uncertainty with a candidate’s death.
Four candidates faced off for a position on the El Dorado Hills Water District, more commonly known as the El Dorado Hills Fire Board.
But longtime public servant John Hidahl, who is credited with shaping El Dorado Hills, died unexpectedly last week at his home. Hidahl, who had termed out of his seat on the Board of Supervisors this election cycle, was running again on the influential board where he began his career in public service decades ago.
Hidahl amassed a majority of votes with 33%. His opponent Kevin Gotro, a retired firefighter, lagged behind with 26% of votes.
It’s unclear what will happen next to fill the seat.
This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 5:14 PM.
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