GPCA election report: Greens retain Town Council Majority in Fairfax in November 8th elections, win seven elections overall

 

Eleven California Greens ran in municipal elections on November 8th. Seven were elected, including two to the Town Council in Fairfax (pop. 7,500) in Marin County  - incumbent Larry Bragman and first time candidate Ryan O'Neil. Bragman and O'Neil join fellow Green incumbent Pam Hartwell-Herrero to retain the Green majority on the five-member Town Council there, showing Fairfax voters believe Greens have good ideas and can govern. 

Fairfax first achieved a Green Town Council  majority in 2009 when Harwell-Herrero was elected and joined Bragman and Green Lew Tremaine, who was first elected to the council first in 1999 and served from 1999-2011. Bragman was first elected in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007.
 
The Green majority in Fairfax is the third California city to have a Green majority on its city or town council, joining Sebastopol in Sonoma County from 2000 to 2008 and Arcata in Humboldt County, which had the world's first Green majority on any legislative body between 1996 and 1998 and then again from 2000 to 2002.
 
Five other Greens were elected on November 8th - two in Humboldt County: incumbent Jeffrey Schwartz, Arcata School District and Nanette Corley, Resort Improvement District, two in Mendocino County: Crispin Littlehales to the Covelo Community Services District and William Hayes to the Mendocino Coast Recreation & Park District and Matthew Clarke in San Mateo County to the Granada Sanitary District.
 
Elsewhere Terry Baum received 1,214 first rankings (10th/15) in San Francisco's Ranked  Choice Voting election for Mayor.  Ranked Choice Voting is an electoral reform that Greens support, where voters are able to rank their choices, rather than being compelled to express their preferences for only one candidate.  
 
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was first approved by San Francisco voters for use in San Francisco in 2004. This followed the work of San Francisco Green Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, Green electoral reform leader Steve Hill and many others who got it on the ballot and educated about its benefits compared to traditional voting systems where voters can only cast their preferences for one candidate. Since its adoption in San Francisco, RCV has spread to other California cities including Oakland and Berkeley.
 
 
Election Results (11 candidates, seven elected)
 
• Town of Fairfax - Member, Town Council (Marin County)
http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/rv/main/currentelection/results.htm
Larry Bragman (incumbent)  1,415 votes  43.86%  (elected)

1st/3 for seats

• Town of Fairfax - Member, Town Council (Marin County)
http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/rv/main/currentelection/results.htm
Ryan O'Neil 1,348 votes  41.79%  (elected)

2nd/3 for seats

• Board Member; Arcata School District (Humboldt County)
http://www.smartvoter.org/2011/11/08/ca/hm/race/5001/
Jeffrey D. Schwartz  (elected)
2 candidates for 2 seats, race not on ballot

• Director, Humboldt County; Resort Improvement District 1 
http://co.humboldt.ca.us/election/results/2011/2011nov-electionnightfina...
Nanette Corley 97 votes 18.91%  (elected)
Tie 2nd/6 candidates for three seats

• Board Member; Covelo Community Services District (Mendocino County)
http://www.smartvoter.org/2011/11/08/ca/mnd/race/025/
Crispin Littlehales (elected)
1 candidate for two seats, not on ballot

• Board Member; Granada Sanitary District
http://www.smartvoter.org/2011/11/08/ca/sm/race/660
Matthew Clarke (elected)
2 candidates for 2 seats, race not on ballot

• Board Member; Mendocino Coast Recreation & Park District; Unexpired Short Term (Mendocino County)
http://www.smartvoter.org/2011/11/08/ca/mnd/race/040/
William Hayes (elected)
1 candidate for one seat, not on ballot

• Mayor, City/County of San Francisco
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/08/MNTQ1LSFRS.D...
Terry Baum      1,214 votes
10/15 candidates for one seat among first rankings

• Member, City Council, City of Benicia (Solano County)
 
• Boardmember, At-Large, Ceres Unified School District (Stanislaus County)
Brian Kline  1,620 votes  44.73%
2nd/2 for one seat
 
• Board Member; Lagunitas School District (Marin County)
Robert Ovetz  232 votes, 16.43%
3rd/3 for two seats

 

County: 
Marin