One county supervisor ousted as another heads to run-off election
Yolo election officials have released the final results of the March 3 primary elections, after more than a month of vote tallying. Two Davis ballot items — Measure G and Measure Q — passed, while the countywide supervisor races saw Angel Barajas defeating long-standing incumbent Duane Chamberlain, and Supervisor Jim Provenza heading to a run-off election in November against challenger Linda Deos.
Final tallies for the March election were posted to the Yolo County website the morning of April 8. In the press release announcing the results, county officials said local voter turnout had surpassed the past two primary elections, and the vote counting had finished ahead of state deadlines — despite complications created by the outbreak of COVID-19.
“Even with all the challenges associated with COVID-19, we were able to still certify an accurate and transparent election two weeks prior to the Governor’s extended deadline and had the highest primary election turnout since 2008,” wrote Jesse Salinas, Yolo County’s assessor, clerk-recorder and registrar of voters.
Some of the races were all but decided shortly after the election, like Measure Q, which sought to renew a 1% city sales tax. Measure Q was approved by Davis voters, with 82.53% voting Yes and 17.47% voting No.
Approval of Measure Q brought to a close a process that began in September of last year when the city declared a fiscal emergency in order to avoid a “dramatic loss in revenue.” Assistant City Manager Kelly Stachowicz told The Aggie in 2019 that the emergency declaration was a pro forma move by the city council to allow the sales tax renewal to appear on the March 2020 ballot and avoid a gap in critical city funds.
The fate of Measure G was less certain before April’s final tally. The ballot measure — which sought to impose a parcel tax on Davis properties in order to fund DJUSD teacher and staff salaries — required a two-thirds majority to pass. The initial results, posted two days after the election, showed the Yes vote at 65.06% — only a couple points shy of approval — leaving supporters in a state of uncertainty for most of March.
The final results show a slim victory for the Yes of Measure G campaign, with 68.05% of voters approving the measure against 31.95% voting No. On the Davis Unified School District website, administrators thanked Davis voters for passing the measure once the election results had been finalized.
“We are extremely thankful to the Davis community for their support,” Superintendent John Bowes stated in the post. “Our teachers and staff are the heart of DJUSD. Especially in these challenging times as we deal with the Coronavirus outbreak and this period of school closure, the successful passage of Measure G sends an important signal of support from our community.”
The April results also cemented the defeat of longtime Yolo Supervisor Duane Chamberlain, who began his tenure as the representative for the county’s fifth district in 2005, according to the county website. Chamberlain lost his seat to Woodland City Councilmember Angel Barajas, who earned 52.37% of the vote to Chamberlain’s 47.63%.
In an Instagram post celebrating the victory, Barajas thanked his supporters as well as Chamberlain for his years of service in the office of county supervisor. He listed a few issues he plans to address before and during his time in the office, including issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although, I’m not sworn into office until January 2021, in the interim, I will closely monitor and work on issues of importance such as the COVID-19 pandemic, preservation of prime [agricultural] land, street and road repairs, homelessness, public safety, and other important local issues that matter to residents,” Barajas wrote. “I am dedicated to serving my constituents and will continue working hard to do so.”
The other contested county supervisor seat was a three-way race between incumbent Jim Provenza and challengers Linda Deos and David Abramson. Provenza finished first with 48.43% of the vote, Deos with 37.50% and Abramson with 14.07% — because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers, Deos and Provenza, will compete again in a November run-off election.
Written by: Tim Lalonde — city@theaggie.org
