November 5, 2004

2004 Election Roundup

By Bea Baechle
Editor

Almost half a million people in Santa Clara County, more than 50 percent of registered voters here, executed their right to vote on Nov. 2 in what many called the most important election in recent history. Despite long lines and sometimes long waits, resilient voters withstood the hassles, anxious to cast their ballots for their favorite candidates and initiatives.

Evergreen resident Paula Isaacs hosted a Bush victory party at La Rochelle Winery.

Since Evergreen’s District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese ran unopposed for his second term, the race ended in victory at the primary election last spring. Thus fervent letters to the editor locally focused more on the race for the presidency, ultimately won by President George W. Bush. Given the wide gap of opinions expressed in recent months, Evergreen is part of a country divided that must seek common ground to come together again as one nation.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the local candidates who will represent you in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the California state assembly, the California state senate and local school boards.

If you’re not sure of which districts you are in, there are many Internet sites that can help you determine your representative by simply typing in your zip code including state (http://www.ss.ca.gov), local (http://www.sccvote.org) and national sources (www.congress.org). Know your representatives and tell them how you feel about issues that affect you!

United States
United States Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, retained her seat in the U.S. Senate with 278,549 votes or 66 percent, defeating Republican contender, farmer and businessman Bill Jones, who received 125,290 votes or about 30 percent of the votes.

United States Representative for District 16, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, also a Democrat kept her seat in the House of Representatives by obtaining 96,147 votes or 71 percent, compared to the 35,588 votes or 26 percent received by her Republican challenger Douglas Adams McNea, a scientist.

California
Two different California State Senate districts, 13 and 15, cover Evergreen.

Elaine Alquist, educator and three-term member of the California State Assembly, will now represent California State Senate District 13. She defeated her Republican opponent, Finance Manager Shane Patrick Connolly, with 114,946 votes or 68.75 percent compared to the 45,049 votes or 29 percent that he earned. The seat opened up because Democrat John Vasconellos is completing his second term in the California Senate and 30 years in the State Assembly.

GOP Assemblyman Abel Maldonado beat Democrat Peg Pinard in the battle for Senate District 15 receiving 139,756 votes or 53 percent compared to Pinard’s 114,347 votes or 43 percent. A third candidate in the race, Brook Madsen, obtained 11,680 votes or 4 percent.

Two different California State Assembly districts, 23 and 28, cover Evergreen.

Former East Side Union High School District Superintendent Joe Coto defeated his Republican opponent Mark Patrosso with 47,736 votes or 68 percent compared to Patrosso’s 19,268 votes or 27 percent to win the State Assembly District 23 seat. Green party candidate Warner S. Bloomberg, snagged 3,309 votes or almost 5 percent.

Incumbent Democrat Assemblymember Simon Salinas gained another two years representing State Assembly District 28 by obtaining 13,213 votes or 65 percent. His Republican contender Farm Bureau Manager Bob Perkins got 7,152 votes or 35 percent.

Santa Clara County
Deputy District Attorney Griffin Bonini received 198,842 votes or 60 percent to win the Superior Court Judge seat for Judicial Office 7. Evergreen resident and government attorney Enrique Colin got 132,325 votes or 40 percent.

Perhaps the most hotly contested local race impacting Evergreen residents was for the two seats on the ESUHSD board of trustees. Seven candidates sought the positions. Incumbent Craig Mann received the most votes, 29,019 or 20 percent, and management analyst Lan Nguyen edged out incumbent Juanita Ramirez’s 23,336 votes or 16 percent with 25,850 votes or 18 percent.

The rest of the ESUHSD candidates were Xavier Campos with 19,575 votes (13.5 percent), Khanh Tran with 19,075 votes (13 percent), Cecil Lawson with 16,911 votes (12 percent) and Theresa A. Horiye with 10,657 votes (7 percent).

Candidates for the Evergreen School District’s two school board openings went uncontested, with incumbent Carolyn Clark returning for her eighth and probably last, four-year term on the board. Longtime Evergreen businessman and former teacher Vince Songcayawon, a resident of Evergreen for 25 years, ran unopposed for the seat being vacated by Tom Matsumoto, who will be retiring from the board.

In North Evergreen’s Mount Pleasant Elementary School District, of the seven candidates seeking two four-year terms, Galvin Jackson received the most votes (1,317 or 22 percent), and incumbent Nancy F. Hopkins’ 1,248 votes or 21 percent clinched her return for another four years.

Andres Quintero with 1,046 votes or 17 percent, Isaiah “Ike” White with 728 votes or 12 percent, Alex Ayala with 720 or 12 percent, Rolando Loera with 596 or 10 percent, and Martin Monica with 344 votes or 6 percent lost the bid.

Betty Martinez earned 2,345 votes or 65 percent to win the one two-year term on the Mount Pleasant School District board of trustees, compared to Richard Carr’s 882 votes or 25 percent and Norman Marlatt’s 367 votes or 10 percent.

Ballot measures
Santa Clara County measures A (“prevailing wage” amendment), B (third party labor conflict arbitration approval) and C (county/union arbitration) all failed. The city’s Measure S library and reading protection parcel tax just reached the 67 percent of yes votes needed to pass.

And although the San Jose-Evergreen Community College Bond Measure G passed, East Side Union’s Measure K parcel tax fell short of the 66.6 percent of votes needed to pass. Evergreen School District’s Measure N parcel tax is still too close to call.

Statewide propositions 1A (protections for local governments), 59 (open government constitutional amendment), 60 (partisan primaries), 60A (sale of state surplus property) and 61 (bonds for children’s hospitals), 63 (tax for mental health funding), 64 (limit lawsuits for unfair business practices), 66 (modifications to “three strikes” law), 69 (DNA collection from criminal suspects) and 72 (health care mandate for business) passed. The state’s ambitious $3 billion bond measure, Proposition 71, to fund stem cell research was also approved by the state’s voters.

The rest, Props 62 (nonpartisan primaries), 65 (local government funding), 67 (tax on telephone use for emergency services), 68 (casinos at card clubs and race tracks) and 70 (expansion of gambling on tribal lands) failed.

Watch for interviews with these new representatives and for updates on the propositions that were too close to call as the Evergreen Times went to print. With tens of thousands of absentee, paper and provisional ballots yet to be counted, all of these results are subject to change.