With 100% of precincts reporting, Neville has received a majority of votes
By CHRIS PONCE — city@theaggie.org
On May 9, the Yolo County Elections Office updated the precinct reports from the District 3 city council special election. The two candidates who ran to fill the seat vacated by Supervisor Lucas Frerichs were Donna Neville and Francesca Wright. The current election results have Neville leading with 60% of votes with 100% of precincts reporting.
Davis District 3 has a population of over 13,000 residents, but only 2,401 votes were recorded in the election as of May 5. Neville received 1,448 (60.31%) votes across both precincts while Wright received 953 votes (39.69%). Wright made a comment regarding the current unofficial election results.
“I loved meeting so many District 3 voters and am sorry I won’t have the opportunity to realize my visions for reinvigorated governance of Davis,” Wright said via email. “Thank you to the 40% who believed in me. I learned how important the support of the political establishment is to win a district election.”
In a statement, Neville discussed the unofficial election results and her campaign, but first she wanted to take a moment to address the recent stabbings in Davis.
“Before commenting on the election, I want to publicly extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of David Henry Breaux and Karim Abou Najm,” Neville said via email. “Our entire community grieves the loss of these two extraordinary men. I also send words of support to Kimberlee Guillory who was able to survive her attack but will have a long recovery. These events left our community shaken and full of questions. […] Our response showed that in times of tragedy we pull together and do what it takes to support one another, including those who are most vulnerable.”
In Wright’s comment, she also talked about Neville’s campaign and wished support for Neville as a council member.
“Donna Neville is a smart hard worker who wants to address our housing shortages, to revitalize our downtown, and to address fiscal responsibility,” Wright said. “I wish her the courage to make tough decisions that are rooted in a vision of an equitable and creative community.”
Throughout the campaign, Neville has expressed respect for Wright as well. Neville talked about Wright’s campaign and stated she was a dedicated candidate.
“I want to give well-deserved praise to my fellow candidate, Francesca Wright, who ran a great campaign, and stayed true to her commitment to make this race about the issues,” Neville said. “Hopefully anyone who observed the district 3 city council race recognized that there were two candidates who are both truly dedicated to Davis and to making a positive impact.”
Neville was a popular candidate, receiving several endorsements from local leaders and organizations such as Rep. Mike Thompson, Mayor Will Arnold, Councilmember Gloria Partida, the Davis Enterprise, the Yolo County Democratic Party and Davis College Democrats.
“We were impressed by the thoughtfulness of her answers to our questions and her vision for the future of Davis,” Davis College Democrats said in an Instagram post. “We have faith that Donna will continue to stand up for students and the issues that matter as a member of City Council!”
Mayor Will Arnold announced his support for Neville in a letter to the Davis Enterprise.
“Donna uniquely understands the issues and knows how to develop solutions,” Arnold said. “Donna can lead our community by providing innovative solutions that will keep Davis on the map for smart, sustainable, and responsible planning.”
Neville said that while the current results are unofficial, she is looking forward to addressing the major issues facing Davis.
“Once the results are certified, I look forward to joining my colleagues on the Davis City Council on June 6,” Neville said. “The important issues remain the same – making housing more available and more affordable so that low to moderate income individuals and families can actually afford to live in Davis; getting to work updating our General Plan; reinvigorating our downtown by putting in place a strong economic development plan; attracting and retaining innovative businesses that want to locate in Davis; addressing climate change and making Davis more climate resilient. We have a lot of important work to do, and I look forward to getting started!”
Written By: Chris Ponce — city@theaggie.org
Madeleine Young contributed to this article
