Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa elections update shows District 5 race for Supervisor too close to call

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By Allen Payton

As of the update posted Friday, March 6, 2020 at 4:33 p.m., the results of the election for Contra Costa County Supervisor in the District 5 race between incumbent Federal Glover and two challengers is still too close to call.

Glover, seeking his sixth term on the board, is just 0.3% away from winning the race outright. If not, in the November General Election he will face either County Assessor Gus Kramer, who has 25.82% of the vote and leading Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley with 24.48% of the vote, by just 516 votes.

However, there are approximately 40,000 ballots remaining to be counted in the county. According to the Contra Costa County Elections website:

Below are the estimated number of ballots that remain to be counted as of March 6

7,500       Vote by Mail

29,200     Provisional

800          Conditional Voter Registration

2,500       Other

40,000    Total Estimate

Before the latest update was provided, Trambley commented on Thursday, “We will see what happens. Although this wasn’t the outcome I expected, I’m proud of the campaign I ran.”

“Hard to say how many of those (remaining ballots) are in District 5,” he added.

Burgis, Andersen re-elected Supervisor, Glover appears to be facing run-off, opponent not yet decided

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Supervisor Diane Burgis and supporters look at the results online during her Election Night party in Brentwood, Tuesday night.

“It’s not over.” 50,000 ballots left to be counted in the county. Next results update not until this Friday by 5 p.m.

Supervisor Federal Glover (in red shirt) checks the election results on his laptop surrounded by family and supporters as they celebrate his first place finish at his home in Pittsburg, Tuesday night. Photo courtesy of the Glover campaign.

By Allen Payton

According to the unofficial election results on the Contra Costa Elections website from Tuesday night at 11:58 pm, Supervisor Diane Burgis is sailing smoothly into a second term, having garnered 66.49% of the vote against her opponent, Sanitary District Board Member Paul Seger who has 33.51% of the vote.

In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Burgis wrote, “Looking Good! The numbers will be coming in for the next couple days with all of the mail in ballots. Thank you to all those that helped make this happen. The walking & calling, the letters to the editor, Facebook posts & helping hang up signs. You all kept it positive & professional. I am blessed to have such a terrific support system! It is an incredible privilege to do this work & I look forward to another 4 1/2 years!”

Then on Wednesday afternoon, Burgis said, “I want to thank everyone for voting. It is a privilege to serve you, and I will continue to work hard every day to maintain your trust. I look forward to doing more good work for Contra Costa County.”

Supervisor Candace Andersen faced no opponent in her race for reelection in District 2, representing Lamorinda and most of the San Ramon Valley. In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, Andersen wrote, “I never take any election, even when running unopposed, for granted. Thank you to the 34,750+ (votes are still being counted) people who voted for me! I love my job and look forward to another 4 years. And congratulations to my colleague Diane Burgis who also won her election!”

Supervisor Federal Glover, running for a sixth term on the board to represent, is in a strong first place with 48.96% of the vote, just 1.05% shy of winning the election outright. He’s followed by County Assessor Gus Kramer with 27.24% who is closely trailed by Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley with 23.8% of the vote.

If Glover isn’t able to obtain 50% plus one vote, he will face one of his opponents in a run-off election in November.

The results only include votes by mail up until Monday and the votes at the polls on Tuesday, according to County Elections staff. They will know after 3:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, how many ballots are left to be counted in the county.

Glover was available for comment, Wednesday morning.

Kramer believes he’ll end up being Glover’s opponent in the General Election.

“It’s quite frankly too close for comfort,” he said. “Most likely, odds are I will be his opponent. I have some people who are telling me they’re surprised I did as well as I did with all the bad press from the Times. I have others who have said they’re not surprised.”

“It’s better to have tried and failed than to have failed to try,” he continued. “That’s my attitude about this race.”

“They have 50,000 ballots left to count, countywide, which means there’s about 10,000 ballots in this race, alone,” Kramer added. “It’s not over.”

Glover’s other challenger, Trambley, who has never held public office before and was running for office for the first time, was not available for comment Wednesday morning.

The next update to the results will not be provided until this Friday, March 6 by 5:00 p.m. The Elections Division has 28 days to certify the election.

Please check back later for updates to this report.

 

Primary Election results in Contra Costa begin shortly after 8:00 p.m. Tuesday

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The first report will be released at 8:00 pm on election night, March 3, and posted to the Elections website www.cocovote.us immediately afterward. The initial posted results will be Vote by Mail ballots that are returned through Monday March 2.

The second report, with results from the polls, will be issued at 9:30 pm with subsequent updates approximately every half hour until all precincts have reported. The final election night report is expected to be issued by 1:00 am.

The first interim report will be posted by 5:00 pm on Friday March 6 and will contain results from Vote by Mail ballots received on and after Election Day. Additional results will be posted each Friday afternoon up to certification which is expected to be March 31.

The availability of updated reports will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #cocovote. Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, will also be communicated on these social media sites.

The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:

https://www.Twitter.com/CoCoElections

https://www.facebook.com/EngageContraCosta/

https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/

Local election results will also be available throughout election night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.

Writer supports Supervisor Burgis for re-election for her “integrity, brilliance and imagination”

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Dear Editor:

I writing to express my genuine respect, admiration, and appreciation for Supervisor Diane Burgis and whole-heartedly support her re-election.

We are blessed to have a leader with the level of integrity, brilliance, and imagination that Diane has demonstrated in serving the people of Contra Costa. She is a woman who is relentless in her efforts to bring innovation to our region and has made significant strides towards job and business creation to support our local workforce.

I have witnessed first-hand Diane’s wisdom and her dedication to regional improvement through her work on business-based drone development in far east Contra Costa, the creation of a multimillion-dollar light industrial park at the site of the former DuPont plant in Oakley, and the launch of the Family Justice Center in Antioch that includes job training and support for people who have been victims of human trafficking as well as those who seek skills training in technology employment through the work of the “Love Never Fails” project that has made significant impact throughout the Bay Area.

Diane is accessible and genuinely loves our communities and those of us who live here. Please cast your vote for Supervisor Diane Burgis, so she can continue with the amazing work she is doing for the benefit of our families. My husband Keith is fully in support of this statement.

Iris Archuleta

Antioch

Voter registration opportunity remains for presidential primary

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At Regional Early Voting locations on Thursday, February 27th through Monday, March 2nd

By Scott O. Konopasek, Assistant Registrar, Contra Costa County

The voter registration deadline has passed, but you can still register and vote in one transaction between now and Election Day. Several convenient locations will be available leading up to and during Election Day for you to register to vote and cast your ballot.

Contra Costa Elections Division offers Conditional Voter Registration as a safety net for those who were unable to complete or update their voter registration before the deadline. Those who are already registered may also update their address or political party preference.

“We want make sure that everybody who is eligible to register to vote has ample opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Deborah Cooper, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters.

The Conditional Registration steps include going to an eligible county location, filling out a form that includes your name, address, date of birth and either the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your driver’s license number, and casting your ballot. Conditionally voted ballots are processed once our office completes the verification of the voter registration and confirms no ballot has already been voted. This service is available at the Elections Office, 555 Escobar in Martinez, during normal business hours and on Election Day from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Conditional Voter Registration will also be available at Regional Early Voting locations on Thursday, February 27th through Monday, March 2nd (excluding Sunday). Regional Early Voting is 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on the weekdays and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, February 29th. These locations are available to all Contra Costa voters looking to cast their ballot ahead of time and avoid the Election Day rush. Any Contra Costa voter can vote at any one of the Regional Early Voting locations.

• Antioch Water Park, 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch

• Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond

• Hyatt House, 2611 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill

Conditional Voter Registration is also available on Election Day at any of the county’s 166 polling places. For more information, call 925-335-7800.

The Herald recommends Martinek for Congress in District 9

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William Martinek

There are two candidates challenging six-term incumbent Congressman Jerry McNerney, retired U.S. Marshal and L.A. police officer Antonio “Tony” Amador who is running for his third time and newcomer, financial advisor and decorated combat Army veteran William Martinek. I’ve compared the two to decide who to support and vote for. Both are good men and have already served our nation. Both want to serve our country, again as a member of Congress. Both offer a serious contrast to McNerney.

Martinek is from Brentwood and jumped into the race early, showing a sincere interest in serving the people of our district. Amador, from Lodi in the San Joaquin County part of the district, only entered the race after he met Martinek and thinks he would be the better Republican candidate. They have similar views on the issues: national security and defense, transportation, jobs and economic development, and working to solve the problems of illegal immigration and homelessness. So, the main differences are age and life experience, but also commitment to run a serious campaign.

Amador is in his 70’s, married, a father, grandfather and great grandfather, and has a long history of public service, which is great, and I applaud him for that. Martinek is a much younger, married father who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan defending our national interests, which I also applaud. He wants to take his energy to Washington, D.C. to work for us.

They both believe they can do better for our district than McNerney who is now in his 12th year in the House of Representatives.

But, the final, major difference I had to look at is which of the two Republicans will run a more serious campaign to replace the incumbent. In his first run for Congress, in 2014, Amador only raised and spent about $60,000, yet came within 5 percent of McNerney. Had he run a more aggressive campaign and raised more money to get his message out to the voters, Amador might have won. But, then in 2016, again waiting until the last minute, while the San Joaquin County Republican Party Chairman, he jumped in the race against Kathryn Nance, who had been campaigning for several months. Amador came in second in the primary, beating Nance by 2.6% of the vote, and making it into the general election. But, this time – during the presidential election year – he lost to McNerney by almost 15%.

If the Republicans hope to take the most winnable Congressional district in the entire nine-county Bay Area, plus San Joaquin County, it’s going to take a candidate who will be aggressive and raise the necessary funds, like Ricky Gill did in 2012, who raised and spent almost $3 million. But the candidate needs more life experience than Gill had, having just graduated from law school.

Martinek is that candidate. He’s serious about serving our nation and has already done so in the Army, and he wants to make things better for his family and ours, in both Contra Costa and San Joaquin Counties. And he’s willing to do put in the hard work to campaign aggressively and raise the needed funds to get his message to the voters so they can become familiar with him by the November election.

Please join me in voting for Republican William Martinek for Congress in the 9th Congressional District. For more information read the Herald article, here and visit www.williammartinekforcongress.com.

Allen Payton, Publisher & Editor

Tony Amador makes third run for Congress against McNerney

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By Allen Payton

Making a third run for Congress to unseat incumbent Jerry McNerney, retired U.S. Marshal Antonio “Tony” Amador is doing so because he wants to get things done. He ran unsuccessfully in 2014 when he got to within 5 percent of McNerney’s vote total, the best of any Republican challenger since David Harmer in 2010, and again in 2016.

But he faces opposition in the primary in the likes of Brentwood resident and Army combat veteran William Martinek. (See related article)

The 75-year-old Amador explained why he jumped in the race after there was another Republican running.

“Martinek really didn’t have much to say, when he came to the San Joaquin County Central Committee meeting asking for an endorsement,” he shared. “He said he didn’t have any money or know the issues. They didn’t endorse him.”

“I spoke to my wife that night and the next morning after sleeping on it, and she told me I needed to get back in ‘because we need a real candidate,’” Amador stated.

“I always file later, to see who else files and what strengths they bring,” he said. “I called immediately to Matt Shupe about talking to the Contra Costa Republican Central Committee. But he wouldn’t take my calls. I knew he was Martinek’s campaign consultant and the county party chairman. He has a conflict of interest. They didn’t allow me to go over there before they made their endorsement.”

“In fact, they endorsed Martinek even before the filing closed,” Amador stated. “Even if you aren’t going to endorse me, you need to have the appearance of fairness.”

“I’m not attacking him (Martinek) personally because I’m going to need his help,” he added. “In fact, Matt’s doing a good job raising money in Contra Costa.”

Amador ended up getting the San Joaquin County Republican Party endorsement, as well as the endorsement of the California Republican Assembly.

Shupe responded, explaining the process in Contra Costa County.

“William was recruited by Central Committee members in Brentwood and Antioch and brought him to our meeting,” he said. “I had never met him, before and then I allowed William to speak. The following meeting, before the end of the filing period, we endorsed him because no other candidate had expressed an interest. We do that to give candidates all the tools they need to win.”

“I did not call, text with or advocate to any central committee members on anything about William,” Shupe stated. “When the endorsement came up at the meeting, I fully disclosed he was a client of mine and I recused myself, turned over the meeting to our vice chair and left the room.”

“Tony never reached out to us requesting an endorsement nor has he made a request to speak since he’s been declared,” he continued. “I received an email on Dec. 5, 2019 that he was upset that we endorsed in the race before the end of the filing period.”

“He waits until the last minute and doesn’t end up running a serious race,” Shupe said. “And people are tired of it.”

Amador’s professional background has been in law enforcement as well as a lifetime of public service. In addition to his seven years as a U.S. Marshal, he served as the Director for the California Youth Authority and worked for 13 years as a Los Angeles Police Officer. Amador was appointed to serve as Deputy Director of the California Employment Development Department,a member of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection, California Public Employee Retirement, and California Narcotic Addict Evaluation Boards, and the San Joaquin County Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention Commission.

About the incumbent he’s hoping to face after the primary, Amador said, “McNerney won’t debate me on the issues. In 14 years, he’s been here and turned over a spade of dirt and said he’s supporting the veterans.”

Amador opposes the Delta tunnels that will take fresh water and move it around the Delta south to Los Angeles.

“But we need storage,” he said. “We need sufficient water to prevent the saltwater. McNerney has done nothing to offer a solution to our water challenges. I don’t know of any legislation from him to provide new storage facilities.”

“He has no political power. His emphasis has been on solar and wind energy, which has proven to not pay for itself.”

Amador supports the efforts of Antioch and the Northern Waterfront Initiative in Contra Costa County for a shipping port to access the deep water Stockton channel in the river, for local employment.”

Transportation is another major issue for his campaign.

“We need the road to the Byron Airport and Tracy, Route 239 and McNerney’s done nothing to make that happen,” Amador pointed out. “He sides with the environmentalists who oppose it.”

“That airport has so much potential for job creation. We have routes going to L.A. out of Stockton. The same could happen there,” he added.

“You get me into office, I’m going to make noise about this,” said Amador. “I went out to the airport and visited.”

“We need to look further into federal transportation matching funds for East County, to create jobs and a better environment for people in the area,” Amador stated. “It will benefit the agriculture industry in East County, too.”

“Why we can’t we create good jobs in the county, where people live?” he asked.

“Another issue that needs to be discussed and addressed is the homeless,” Amador said. “We can’t expect the cities to handle the problem. First, we need to help the veterans who are homeless.”

“He’s definitely for sanctuary cities and I’m opposed to them, especially with my law enforcement background,” he stated. “McNerney hasn’t done anything to address human trafficking or sex trafficking that is affecting our area.”

“But I do want to be want to resolve the DACA issue and give them legal status, and later the opportunity to become citizens,” Amador said. “As long as they haven’t committed any crimes and have lived a good life, while here. But we can’t have open borders like McNerney wants.”

“McNerney votes along the same lines as Nancy Pelosi,” he added. “There isn’t anything independent that he’s done in 14 years.”

Amador has been married to Evelia for 54 years, they have four daughters, 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. They live in Lodi.

To learn more about Amador’s campaign visit www.amadorforcongress.net.

East Bay Leadership Council offers five reasons to vote yes on Measure J

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The East Bay Leadership Council is proud to endorse Measure J in Contra Costa County and wanted to share a few reasons why we believe it deserves a YES vote on March 3.

1. All the Money Raised Here Stays Here

That may sound simple, but recent transportation funding initiatives have pooled revenue among all nine Bay Area counties and then divvied it up based on a number of factors. In these situations, the East Bay has not always received an equitable share.

Measure J is a chance to raise $103 million per year for Contra Costa County that is guaranteed to go back into our community to ease bottlenecks, improve transit access, and make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

2. Funding for Bus, Bike, and Pedestrian Improvements

If Contra Costa County is ever going to get off the “worst commutes in the nation” lists, then we must make it easier and more efficient for commuters to opt for alternative transportation options like express buses, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian over-crossings.

These investments will ease congestion on our roads and improve air quality. It is one of the reasons why the East Bay Regional Park District, Save the Bay, Bike East Bay, TransForm, and Save Mount Diablo all joined us in support of Measure J.

Did we mention free and reduced fares for students, seniors, and people with disabilities? That too!

3. Innovate 680

If you were a fly on our office wall, you would hear a lot about innovation opportunities on Interstate 680.

Measure J will prioritize this critical commute corridor by helping to get express buses running on the shoulder of the freeway that could connect BART stations to job centers in the Tri-Valley. Other 680 innovations include smart freeway signs and metering lights, express lane extensions, and self-driving shuttles.

There is so much we can do to make commutes on 680 more efficient and Measure J will help us get there.

4. The Economy

We cannot expect businesses to attract and retain employees while Contra Costa County makes headlines for long and inefficient commutes.

Investing in the transportation system is an investment in helping businesses start, stay, and grow in the region. That means more jobs close to home for Contra Costa residents.

5. Matching Funds Get Projects Done

Money raised at the local level will not be enough to pay for every transportation improvement that Contra Costa County needs. The good news is that there are state and federal funds available to help complete important projects.

The secret to winning that funding is that the state and federal government both prefer to contribute the last dollars for a project, not the first.

By raising funds locally first, Contra Costa County will be able to win more grant funding and make more efficient use of every dollar for decades to come.

To learn more about Measure J and its benefits visit www.friendsofcontracostatransportation.org. To learn more about the East Bay Leadership Council visit www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com.

Contra Costa Taxpayers Association: vote no on Measure J transportation sales tax increase

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Dear Editor:

The chief selling point to Measure J on the March 3 ballot is to “reduce congestion”, a laughably empty promise. The 75 words on the ballot create a smokescreen for a 1/2% sales tax increase.

Measure J allots $148 million to BART, who has their own mega-budget and a long history of wastefulness. Only Contra Costa would shoulder the additional tax to be handed over to BART with no assurance that Contra Costa would benefit.

This measure contains hiring restrictions that will drive up costs of taxpayer-funded projects. It requires that all apprenticeship labor must come from certain politically favored sources, rather than the largest qualified pool of applicants. Construction labor short supply due to recent wildfire rebuilding efforts. As a result, projects everywhere are currently facing massive cost overruns. This is the wrong time to impose even further hiring restrictions.

Residents may see signs on the highway referencing Measure J for current projects. This refers to a Measure J generously passed by voters in 2004. The suspicious letter designation is confusing, but clearly this is not the same. This is an additional increase for 35 years.

We encourage a no vote on Measure J.

Susan L Pricco

President, Contra Costa Taxpayers Association

Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association endorses Glover for re-election

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In a news release, today the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association announced they are “proud to recommend Supervisor Federal Glover on Election Day, March 3rd. Please join us.”

“Under Supervisor Federal Glover’s leadership, Contra Costa County has opened three Family Justice Centers to help victims of domestic violence, elder abuse and human trafficking and hired new deputies to respond more efficiently to 911 calls,” the announcement continued. “Supervisor Glover also fought for cameras to deter freeway shooters. Contra Costa’s Deputy Sheriffs wholeheartedly support Supervisor Glover’s re-election. We ask you to join our deputies in voting for him on or before Election Day, March 3rd.”

Glover is running for his sixth term on the Board of Supervisors, having first been elected in 2000. He faces two opponents, County Assessor Gus Kramer and Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the Primary, the top two candidates will face off in the General Election in November.