District Three city council candidate Efren Guttierrez with supporters at his Northgate Boulevard campaign headquarters await returns. / Photo: Marc Laver
BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Updated 12:15 a.m. on June 4, 2014
Election returns Tuesday night indicate no clear victor in the District Three city council race.
The campaign will continue for two candidates who will face each other again on the November ballot.
At press time, election returns showed Jeff Harris with 1,445 (25.82 percent), followed by Ellen Cochrane with 1,293 votes (23.11 percent) and Cyril Shah with 1,284 votes (22.94 percent) with 53 out of out of 53 precincts reporting.
Trailing behind in the field of seven were candidates Deane Dana with 533 votes (9.52percent), Rosalyn Van Buren with 511 votes (9.13 percent), Efren Guttierrez with 329 votes (5.88 percent) and Adam Sartain with 191 votes (3.41percent).
The returns also showed 585 under votes – meaning nearly 10 percent of voters eligible to vote in the District Three city council race failed to do so.
Results posted at 11:09 p.m. upset earlier returns which showed Shah in the lead for several hours, followed by Cochrane and Harris. With only nine votes separating Cochrane and Shah mail-in and provisional ballots counts likely will determine which candidates appear on the November ballot.
“The numbers are changing,” said Harris. “It’s obvious at this point that there’s going to be a runoff so it’s just a matter who is the runoff going to be (between). It’s really hard to tell.”
Candidate Cochrane said she was humbled and honored to be among the night’s frontrunners from the beginning.
“I want so much to represent the people of the whole district, I am beside myself with excitement,” she said.
District Three reaches from Interstate 80 south, east of Interstate 5 and along the East Levee Canal, encompassing Gardenland/Northgate corridor and most South Natomas neighborhoods, the River District and East Sacramento.
Shah said whomever appears on the November ballot will give District Three voters a clear choice.
He added, “I am very proud of the campaign I have run thus far.”
Low voter turnout was reported at many polling places in Natomas. / Photo: Marc Laver
I met Efren Gutierrez and Adam Sartain, originally, at the “Meet the
Candidate event held at the South Natomas Community Center.” I found
myself seeking them out at different campaign events and city council
meetings because I have a saying…there are people who act nice and there
are people who are nice. And both men are genuinely very nice
people. They have both displayed an unusually high level of integrity, a
profound spirit of sportsmanship and a commitment to the community of
South Natomas during their campaigns. And both men are astute in the
issues of smart growth and environmental issues.
In my opinion, the current city council are pro developer to the point
that they push development approvals through without regard for real
environmental concerns or affects to the immediate population,
especially our children.
As big developers throw their
support and money behind one candidate in district 3 to represent them,
it is my hope Efren and Adam continue to boldly speak out as they have
and advocate for developing in a responsible way with people’s health
and not mindless profits in mind.
With much respect for these two gentlemen,
Sidney