Mayor Blankley has lead, heading toward reelection
By Calvin Nuttall
Results for several key local elections and ballot measures are in with 100 percent of voting centers reporting. However, there are about 280,000 ballots countywide that remain to be counted, according to Michael Borga, assistant communication officer with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.
Incumbent mayor Marie Blankley holds a narrow 227-vote lead over challenger Greg Bozzo, landscaper, with 7,067 (50.82 percent) against Bozzo’s 6,840 (49.18 percent) at the time of writing.
“I am so very pleased to have won two elections in Gilroy that gave me the opportunity to serve seven years and do so much good for the town that I love,” Blankley wrote in an email. “Winning this third election would allow me to continue that progress with the elected city council.”
In spite of the close race and current disadvantage, Bozzo’s campaign remains optimistic.
“As of this morning my opponent and I are separated by just 200 votes and there are still thousands of votes to be counted, which can/may take up to six more days,” he said in an email. “Our campaign team is anxiously awaiting further releases of information.”
The city’s three available city council seats are decided by a top-three vote between six candidates. The race is currently led by firefighter and incumbent councilmember Zach Hilton with 6,716 votes (20.44 percent), followed by small business owner Terence Fugazzi with 6,507 votes (19.80 percent), and planning commissioner Kelly Ramirez in third with 5,920 votes (18.01 percent).
They are followed by incumbent Fred Tovar, 5,430 votes (16.52 percent), planning commissioner Stefanie Elle, 4,895 votes (14.90 percent), and incumbent Rebeca Armendariz, 3,395 votes (10.33 percent), in fourth, fifth, and sixth place respectively.
The public safety tax increase Measure C which needs 2/3 yes votes to pass, looks like it’s heading to failure with 8,434 “Yes” votes, a share of 61.01 percent versus 5,389 “No” votes, 38.99 percent.
In the race for three seats on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees all three candidates ran unopposed. They are Hyon Chu Yi-Baker, for Area 2, Kenny Moreno for Area 5 and Jennifer Del Bono for Area 6.