By Robert Haugh
Here are the results from around 10 pm last night. About 20 percent of total registered voters had their votes counted by then. Final turnout is expected to be over 30 percent.
First the easy one. Pat Nikolai is Santa Clara’s newest Police Chief. He ran unopposed. Congratulations to him.
Measure C lost big. It was the attempt to create 3 districts for 6 council seats in Santa Clara. The 49ers spent a ton of money — about $650,000 to defeat it. The Yes side spent zero dollars. So the results may not be a big surprise.
So far, the 49ers have spent $112 per vote. Wow. That number will come down once more votes come in. But it looks like they’ll spend over $60 per vote. Still wow.
The big surprise is the Assembly District 25 race. West Valley-Mission Community College District Board Trustee Anne Kepner is running third behind Bob Brunton and Alex Lee.
Brunton was the only Republican on the ballot. So he was expected to have a shot at making the runoff.
Kepner and her campaign were really confident. Kepner told some people that she might win outright in the primary. But it looks like she under performed in Santa Clara. That should have been a strong base for Kepner.
I hope the 49ers get a receipt for the purchase of measure C.
The walls rattling and the windows shaking? You should put that effort in your career or job in your case.
Becker 2020 0-3
Yes we should support “Move to Amend” and overturn the Citizen’s United Decision. Please support the California Clean Money campaigns: http://www.caclean.org/
We need better election spending disclosure laws and public financing of elections.
Anthony, to answer your question, Yes. Santa Clara residents can be bought. In fact all voters can be bought, that’s why people with money, with special interest in elections spend that type of money…. duh.
To be fair, Measure C was confusing for everyone. At one point I almost was ready to vote against Measure C. It wasn’t until I learned how much money was behind defeating it, and who that money was from, that I took the time to investigate before I voted.
Santa Clara residents are intelligent people who care about their City. We just didn’t have the resources to combat the type of media blitz that $650K jammed down our throats. Our mailboxes were left wide open, and for a week straight, I was given the opportunity to throw out the trash.
The 49ers may have won this battle, but in truth they have just woken up more of us.
Burt Field
Anthony, I think if you have lived in Santa Clara as I have for over 50 years you would find that the citizens of Santa Clara are all good people and we should stop pitting folks against each other. Us vs them is not the Santa Clara way. As a resident of District 6, I look forward to bringing folks together as opposed tearing people apart and not listening to all views.
George,
I have lived in Santa Clara a majority of my life, I was born here and I know that all Santa Clarans are good people.
The us vs them mentality is currently the status quo and toxic for our city. I call out the truth and take on the negative attacks for being the outsider.
That is exactly what I am looking to do is bring folks together, bring two sides together, bringing fairness back to my city. Its time to abandon the ‘my way or the highway approach’
I think those in power now should take that advice of tearing people apart and listening to all views.
Should I have the chance to serve…. there will be compromises and concessions and that is progress. Listening to the people and not the special interests.
Mr. Field
Santa Clara residents I think would reject your notion on being bought. You can use the word ‘sway’ as way of voters being told how to vote. But most certainly Santa Clarans are not bought.
most of the mailers for NO ON C or any candidate this year see always in the garbage or recycle bins. Lots of people ignore those expensive mailers. Psychologically it is effective as name recognition planted in the brain over repeated time to the recycle bins.
But I agree Measure C was confusing to say the least. But it deserved to be defeated going against a Judges orders. If i can recall Judges can make the law of the land or send you or me to jail. That is just how the system works. I just feel we can move on from this.
What is wrong from the Niners putting money into the elections ? the more i see it it is just like developers using the POA in 2016 and 2018 to elect their candidates. That is big money and is is safe to say if you call out the money on one side you can’t ignore the other money on the other side. It’s not illegal, but if we are gonna compare and contrast, developers are on same level as Niners (they both have deep pockets). Let’s remember this current council majority supported Measure J and gladly loved the Niner money in 2010 and now its not ok.
But again it is not illegal for them to “try” and influence an election. They couldn’t in 2016 or 2018 but the developers did. What I see is win some, lose some. Yet in 2018, two grassroots candidates won via the 6 district model, and I think it is just the beginning to a brave new council.
A lot of us have woken up to the fact that our city is wasting lots of money, I hear it often. I think what we want is balance and fairness in everything.
I guarantee you this, if I had chance to serve, I wouldn’t be owned or swayed on how I vote, I listen to what residents want. This election I listened and the message was clear, No on C and a mandate to just adapt and move on. We can make this city a lot better working together rather than making it a one way street. Where I come from the road goes both ways.
I thank you for your passion and concerns Mr. Field. Respect you, lots of you may not support me but I still fight for all of you no matter what side people fall on.
Voters in Santa Clara were smart. Measure C was a trash amendment that would’ve gotten the city sued once again, costing tax payers thousands.
It’s true that money has a say in politics, but a political newcomer who raised $30,000 beat a gargantuan who raised more than $400,000.
Stop being deluded, Measure C was not the right way to go for Santa Clara.
Do you really think you can buy Santa Clara voters? they rejected Measure A in 2018, they rejected Measure C this year. They knew it was toxic and wrong.
It now proves that the polling done during the charter review was right, the people wanted 6 districts, it was 66%.
Charter review majority and Council majority ignored this data wasting tax dollars. Now the election is essentially 60% of vote. What is the purpose to keep fighting the lawsuit? accept the loss and stop spending other peoples money.
This was a mandate by Santa Clara Voters that political reforms are coming.
Majority of Santa Clara voters had common sense to reject this.
Great Day for Santa Clara and voter rights.
6 districts it is, abiding the law.
Congrats to Pat Nikolai as our new Police Chief.
“Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside
And it is ragin’.
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.”
#Becker2020 #BeckerforDistrict6