Election Report: Greens win 23 fall races in fall 2014 elections

Led by three present/former Green Mayors, 23 Greens were elected across California in November 4th elections - bringing to 64 the number of Greens holding elected office statewide, up from 60 in June 2014. Eleven of 13 Green incumbents were returned to office in November elections - 12/14 in 2014 overall.  

Combined with spring results, 34/68 Greens (50%) were elected in 2014. Subtracting state/federal office - where ten Greens ran in the June primary, California Greens won 34/58 local races - 58.6%. This voter support for Green candidates betrays the negative logic of the Top Two system, which is responsible for no Green state/federal candidates being on the general election ballot in eitiher 2012 and 2014, since Top Two came into existence.

In Richmond (Contra Costa County), Gayle Mclaughlin was elected to the City Council in the face of $3 million from the Chevron Corporation in direct attacks against her and in support of her opponents. Mclaughlin was a target of Chevron because she's led lefforts as Richmond's Mayor to hold Chevron accountable for its negative local environmental impacts and to pay its fair share in taxes to the community. She's also led efforts for Richmond to use emminent domain to prevent homeowner foreclosures. Mclaughlin was elected in 2014 as part of Team Richmond, with support by the Richmond Progressive Alliance, which supported a slate of three successful City Council candidates. From 2006-2014, Mclaughlin served as Mayor, then had to step down because of term limits. She previously served on the City Council before becoming Mayor.
 
In Marina (Monterey County), Green Mayor Bruce Delgado was elected to his fourth consecutive two-year term with 64% of the vote - running on a platform of a safe and healthy environment, more parks and greenways, public safety, and a balanced, fiscally conservative budget. Delgado also served a four year term on the City Council from 2000-2004, as well as on the Transportation Agency of Monterey County the Monterey Regional Waste Management District, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. 
 
In Marin County, Fairfax Town Councilmember/former Mayor Larry Bragman won a seat on Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors, the oldest public water agency in the State of California, running on as stewarship of the Mt. Tam watershed and preservation of its near-pristine water from the proposed use of toxic herbicides and to encourage strengthening of local, sustainable water sources. The Marin district is unique in that it manages its own vast mountain watershed which replenish a series of 7 reservoirs. According to Bragman, conservation, innovation and efficiency are the keys to long term drought and climate change strategy. Bragman was first elected to the Town Council in 2003 and has been part of a Green Town Council majority in Fairfax since 2009., and has served two terms there as Mayor. While on the council, Larry encouraged the expansion of community involvement in the council through his advocacy of public agenda access, televising meetings and civility. Bragman also lead Fairfax's efforts to adopt a "complete streets" public works policy which includes consideration of bicycle and pedestrian access in transportation planning. Bragman and re-elected incumbent Jan Shriner, Marina Coast Water District Board of Directors (Monterey County), are two of five Greens currently serving on water district boards statewide - an increasingly critical post in time of drought.
 
Four other Greens were elected to City Council seats - growing to eight the number of sitting Green City Councilmembers statewide: appointed incumbent Deborah Heathersone was re-elected (Point Arena, Mendocino County); as well as  Paul Pitino (Arcata, Humboldt County) who previously server on the City Council (2004-2008); and first timer John Keener (Pacifica, San Mateo County).
 
Long time Napa Green Amy Martenson also won her first run for elected office, defeating a long term incumbent to win a seat on the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees. Her platform advocated increased funding at the state level through an oil severance tax and closing corporate tax loopholes in proposition 13, expanding vocational training options for students to include the two-year programs that lead to the highest paying jobs, and increasing community participation in Board meetings and decision-making. Martenson joins already elected Green Student Trustee April Clary on the Board. On the local school board level, eight Greens were elected, growing to 20 the number statewide. Winning very competitive races were Heather Bass (Gilroy Unified School District, Santa Clara County), Adriana Griffin, Red Bluff Union School District, Tehama County) and Kathy Rallings (Carlsbad Unified School District, San Diego County). 
 
Counties with the most elected Greens were Contras Costa (4), Alameda (3), San Diego (3), Monterey (2), Napa (2), Santa Cruz (2). One Green Jeff Davis, was elected in two countries, to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District Board of Directors. The Green Party of California awards campaign support funds to candidates endorsed by their county Green Party, based upon this criteria. They are identified by *.
 
The full list of Greens elected on November 4th are:

Bruce Delgado, Mayor, Marina, Monterrey County, incumbent
1st/2 candidates for one seat 2003 votes 63.96% ELECTED

Deborah Heathersone, Town Council, Pt. Arena, Mendocino County, appointed incumbent
 
John Keener, City Council, Pacifica, San Mateo County*
3rd/7candidates for three seats  4346 16.7%   ELECTED
 
Gayle Mclaughlin, City Council, Richmond, Contra Costa County*
 
Paul Pitino, City Council, Arcata, Humboldt County
1st/2 candidates for one seats (two-year term, filling vacancy) 1904 votes 67.49%  ELECTED

Amy Martenson, Board of Trustees, District 2 Napa Valley College, Napa County (endorsed by the Green Party of Napa County)*
1st/2 candidates for one seat  1,088 votes 59.68% ELECTED

Heather Bass, Board of Directors, Gilroy Unified School District, Gilroy, Santa Clara County
3rd/6 for four seats 5077 votes 17.69%

Dave Clark, Board of Directors, Cardiff School, San Diego County, incumbent 
3 candidates for three seats ELECTED

Adriana Griffin, Red Bluff Union School District, Red Bluff, Tehama County, appointed incumbent
3rd/4 candidates for three seats  2279 votes 25.45%   ELECTED

Jim C. Keller, Board of Trustees, Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District, Santa Cruz County
3 candidates for three seats ELECTED

Kathy Rallings, Board of Trustees, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad, San Diego County
2nd/6 candidates for three seats  7279 votes 19.38%   ELECTED

Alex Shantz, Board of Trustees, St. Helena Unified School District, Napa County
3 candidates for three seats ELECTED

David James (Jim) Smith, Board of Trustees, Canyon School, Canyon Township, Contra Costa County, incumbent
3 candidates for three seats  ELECTED

Logan Blair Smith, Little Shasta Elementary School District, Montague, Shasta County, appointed incumbent
1 candidate for one seat  ELECTED

John Selawsky, Rent Stablization Board, Berkeley, Alameda County (endorsed by the Green Party of Alameda County)*
 
Jesse Townley, Rent Stablization Board, Berkeley, Alameda County, incumbent (endorsed by the Green Party of Alameda County)*
 
Larry Bragman, Board of Directors, Division 3, Marin Municipal Water District Board, Marin County*
 
Jan Shriner, Board of Directors, Marina Coast Water District, Monterrey County, incumbent (endorsed by the Green Party of Monterrey County)*
 
Jeff Davis, Board of Directors, Ward 5, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (incumbent)  (endorsed by the Green Party of Alameda County)
1st/2 candidates for one seat  23,116 votes 54.44%   ELECTED  
 
Robert L. Campbell, Scotts Valley Fire District, Santa Cruz County
 
James Barone, Boardmember, Rollingwood-Wilart Recreation and Parks District, Contra Costa County
3 candidates for three seats  ELECTED
 
Gerald Epperson, Board of Directors, Crocket Community Services Distrct, Contra Costa County, appointed incumbent
 
William Bretz, Board of Directors, Crest, Dehesa, Granite Hills, Harbison Canyon Planning Group, Seat 8, San Diego County, incumbent
1 candidate for one seat  ELECTED
 

 

 

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