Election results: Blankley outpaces Reid, elected Gilroy mayor
Two new councilmembers join incumbent Tovar to fill three seats
By Robert Airoldi
While the world awaits the results of the 2020 presidential election, results are in for local South Valley races, though provisional ballots remain to be counted.
In the Gilroy mayoral race, city council member Marie Blankley is comfortably ahead of Reid Lerner, an architect, earning 9,977 votes (68.75 percent) to 4.536 votes (31.25 percent) as of Nov. 6.
“I am deeply humbled and appreciative of everyone who has supported me. I’m empowered by the confidence Gilroy voters continue to place in me and their willingness to trust in me,” Blankley said in an email. “I want the best for Gilroy, the hometown I never left, and I’ll work every day to that end, leading the city council as mayor for the next four years.”
For the city council’s three open seats, firefighter Zach Hilton, incumbent Fred Tovar, and planning commissioner Rebeca Armendariz are ahead, 8,161 votes (24.92 percent), 7,576 votes (23.14 percent), and 6,603 votes (20.16 percent) respectively. Carol Marques, 5,604 votes (17.11 percent) and Danny Mitchell 4,802 votes (14.66 percent) are in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
“Along my journey the past four years as chair of the Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, I saw too many missed opportunities,” Hilton said. “I am proud to say today that with all the support and love from you all, we will finally have a seat at the table.”
Tovar said this election shows much interest by Gilroy’s residents for the city’s future.
“Now our job is to work together as a council and help to build a better Gilroy,” he said. “I am thrilled to continue the important work we’ve accomplished the last four years, but there is so much more to do. Let’s stay focused and Gilroy will be stronger than ever.”
In the race for Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustee in Area 2, incumbent Mark Good has garnered 1,925 votes (65.61 percent) compared to educator Nirza Starks who earned 1,009 votes (34.39percent)
In Trustee Area 6, Melissa Nicholson Aguirre is ahead of incumbent BC Doyle 1,216 votes (66.70 percent) to 607 votes (33.30 percent), respectively.
In Trustee Area 3, retired educator Michelle Nelsen has garnered 1,911 votes (64.41 percent) compared to student Jonathan Hurtado (who was disqualified for misrepresenting where he lives) with 702 votes (23.66 percent) and Kevin Moller with 354 votes (11.93 percent).
For the Gavilan Board of Trustees, Educator Patricia Mondragon is ahead of 20-year incumbent Mark Dover with 3,613 votes (60.81 percent) to 2,328 votes (39.19 percent).
Results for Morgan Hill races will also impact the South Valley region as that city to the north of Gilroy sees some changes in elected officials. With all precincts reporting, incumbent Mayor Rich Constantine will serve his second two-year term. He garnered 11,944 votes (93.36 percent) while write-in candidate Steve Chappell got 849 votes (6.64 percent)
“I look forward to continuing the work to get us through this global pandemic and having the opportunity to continue to serve this great city,” Constantine said in an email sent to Morgan Hill Life.
In the Morgan Hill City Council District A race, Gino Borgioli, a former Morgan Hill Unified School District board trustee, is ahead of incumbent and five-term councilman Larry Carr, earning 1,442 votes (40.78 percent) to 1,288 votes (36.43 percent). Julie D. Raia, a family therapist, got 806 votes (22.79 percent).
In District C, incumbent Rene Spring is ahead of Juan Miguel Munoz-Morris with 2,197 votes (70.33 percent) to 927 votes (29.67 percent).
In the only contested Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustee race — Area 5 — Ivan Rosales Montes is ahead of Pam Torrisi 1,868 votes (61.75 percent) to 1,157 votes (38.25 percent).
On county wide issues, three measures will impact the South County region. The Valley Water parcel tax, Measure S, is passing with 404,632 votes (75.64 percent) compared to 130,279 no votes (24.36 percent).
Measure S provides $54 million to the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit project to prevent the dam’s failure in the event of a major earthquake on the nearby fault and protects the Silicon Valley region from inundation and destruction of a flood of water.
The Open Space Authority parcel tax, Measure T, is also winning with 295,936 votes (81.73 percent) compared to 66,142 no votes (18.27 percent).
Measure T will provide ongoing funding to support the protection of open space, wildlife habitat, water resources and local farmland, operation and management of the Authority’s growing system of open space preserves, and providing additional and more equitable access to nature for the diverse communities within the Authority’s jurisdiction.
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board Caltrain sales tax, Measure RR, passed with 354,788 votes (67.31 percent) compared to 172,288 no votes (32.69 percent).
Measure RR, known as Save Caltrain, is a 1/8-cent sales tax increase to keep Caltrain services running and expanding.