Spencer builds on slim lead

Workers at the  Alameda County Registrar of Voters continued to count absentee and provisional ballots over the weekend. Just before closing shop on Sunday, they updated their numbers. The count now shows that mayoral candidate Trish Spencer has more than doubled her slim lead over Mayor Marie Gilmore from 58 votes at the end of Saturday to 127 votes on Sunday. This marks the first time in the last four days that Gilmore had not trimmed Spencer's lead. Last Thursday Gilmore closed the gap to 174 votes. On Friday, she came within 91 votes, and then on Saturday, 58 votes.

The weekend count did nothing to change the City Council race. Frank Matarrese remains the top vote-getter with 36.33 percent.Jim Odddie trails with 33.44 percent. Matarrese and Oddie's numbers likely assure both candidates of seats on the Council. Stewart Chen gained very slightly over the weeking but remains in third place with 29.77 percent, a number that would eliminate him from serving on the new City Council 

Incumbent Health Care Board member Lynn Bratchett lost even more ground to candidate Jim Meyers. She had closed the gap to 25 votes. However, Sunday's count widened Meyers lead to 177 votes. Last Tuesday's results have virtually assured that the other two incumbents, Tracy Jensen and Robert Deutsch, will keep their seats on the board. Sunday's count did not change that possibility. 

Sunday's vote count did nothing to change the status quo in the school board race. It appears that Solana Henneberry and Gary Lym will be taking the two seats up for grabs and that incumbent Mike McMahon will be watching from the sidelines. 

Measure I, the school bond measure, is holding its own with 62.18 percent of the vote and appears headed for passage. The measure needs a 55-percent "yes" vote to pass. 

These numbers remain tentative and unofficial. The Registrar of Voters still has an undetermined number of absentee and provisional ballots to count. Once the count is finished the Registrar will announce official results. The Registrar has until Tuesday, Dec. 2, to certify the official results and report them to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen's office. Candidates would then have five days to request a recount. 

Mayor
Trish Spencer               10,243         50.16%    
Marie Gilmore               10,116         49.54%    
    

City Council
Frank Matarrese           10,858         36.33%
Jim Oddie                       9,993         33.44%
Stewart Chen                 8,407          29.77%

School Board
Solana Henneberry     11,186           39.59%
Gary Lym                       9,176          32.48%
Mike McMahon              7,793          27.58%

Measure I
Yes                              12,800           62.61%
No                                  7,645           37.82%

Health Care Board 
Jim Meyers                    7,386           22.15% 
Lynn Bratchett               7,207           21.62%
Robert Deutsch             7,690           24.21%
Tracy Jensen               10,549           31.64%

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