Because Carson waits until the end to count mail-in ballots. Builds suspense that way.
Anyway, at the end of the precinct count, Mayor Jim Dear was still beating Councilman Elito Santarina like a stray dog. No news there. However, in what is sure to be a disappointment for Dear, Councilman Mike Gipson still looked like he was going to get re-elected as the leading vote-getter in the council race.
Measure C, the utility-users' tax, is winning with 70.1 percent, which means that if you were counting on a wave of anti-tax sentiment to carry you into office -- I'm looking at you, Wilma Wilson and Rita Boggs -- you were wrong.
Here is the semi-surprise of the night: former Councilwoman Julie Ruiz Raber seemed like she was heading back to the council, having defeated her ally Harold Williams. Raber had 3,072 votes to 2,833 for Williams with 30 of 30 precincts tallied.
This would not change the balance of power on the council, but it will allow somebody different to second Jim Dear's motions.
But wait. There's still more than 3,500 ballots to count and it's 1 a.m. So all these results are preliminary. Williams could still win. Heck, Gipson could still lose if somehow Raber and Williams both passed him. Can you feel the suspense? Did I mention it's 1 a.m.? And that all the other South Bay cities stopped counting hours ago?
I have the streaming video open, and I'm watching City Clerk Helen Kawagoe read out write-in results... for each candidate... one... precinct... at... a... time...
I think I just got a bingo.
And I'm going home.
UPDATE 3 a.m.... But I'm not going to sleep. Final results in Carson:
Mayor
Dear 61.9
Santarina 38.1
Council (2 seats)
Gipson 26.1
Raber 22.5
Williams 21.5*
Wilson 15.7
Boggs 14.3
*The raw vote difference between Williams and Raber is 183, which theoretically could be erased by uncounted absentees and provisionals. Though it seems unlikely.
Measure C
Yes 69.5
No 30.5
Anyway, at the end of the precinct count, Mayor Jim Dear was still beating Councilman Elito Santarina like a stray dog. No news there. However, in what is sure to be a disappointment for Dear, Councilman Mike Gipson still looked like he was going to get re-elected as the leading vote-getter in the council race.
Measure C, the utility-users' tax, is winning with 70.1 percent, which means that if you were counting on a wave of anti-tax sentiment to carry you into office -- I'm looking at you, Wilma Wilson and Rita Boggs -- you were wrong.
Here is the semi-surprise of the night: former Councilwoman Julie Ruiz Raber seemed like she was heading back to the council, having defeated her ally Harold Williams. Raber had 3,072 votes to 2,833 for Williams with 30 of 30 precincts tallied.
This would not change the balance of power on the council, but it will allow somebody different to second Jim Dear's motions.
But wait. There's still more than 3,500 ballots to count and it's 1 a.m. So all these results are preliminary. Williams could still win. Heck, Gipson could still lose if somehow Raber and Williams both passed him. Can you feel the suspense? Did I mention it's 1 a.m.? And that all the other South Bay cities stopped counting hours ago?
I have the streaming video open, and I'm watching City Clerk Helen Kawagoe read out write-in results... for each candidate... one... precinct... at... a... time...
I think I just got a bingo.
And I'm going home.
UPDATE 3 a.m.... But I'm not going to sleep. Final results in Carson:
Mayor
Dear 61.9
Santarina 38.1
Council (2 seats)
Gipson 26.1
Raber 22.5
Williams 21.5*
Wilson 15.7
Boggs 14.3
*The raw vote difference between Williams and Raber is 183, which theoretically could be erased by uncounted absentees and provisionals. Though it seems unlikely.
Measure C
Yes 69.5
No 30.5
Yes on C! Thank you Carson residents for stepping up..Now let's all make sure that our City Council does the right thing tonight and eliminates ALL the costly special events from the calendar for the next year.
They need to focus on the day to day city infrastructure! Not throwing parties.