Ignacio De La Fuente Retains His Seat, But Can't Celebrate

Ignacio De La Fuente, the Oakland District Five Councilmember and President of the Oakland City Council and whom was endorsed by this blog and blogger in his campaign run against a worthy challenger in Mario Juarez, won the votes to not only remain in office, but in getting over 50 percent of the vote, avoided a run-off against Juarez.

Still, De La Fuente was not able to be there at "Guadalahara" restaurant in the Fruitvale area to celebrate the victory last night. As it was told to me -- I was there -- his uncle was very ill so Ignacio went to Mexico to be with him. My prayers go out to him.

Congratulations To John Russo As He Wins Third Term As City Attorney

The as yet unwritten and not covered story of this election and of Oakland politics is the steady and sure success of Oakland's first elected City Attorney John Russo. Russo just won his third term as Oakland City Attorney unopposed.

John was my friend long before he became either councilmember or the city's lawyer, so I have watched and witnessed the principaled moves that got him to his current level of success. Moreover, the simple fact that I have been and still am his friend speaks volumes for his loyalty to those he's known for a long time, even as he rises in political circles. It also means that we haven't done anything to really piss off each other over 17 years.

Wow, that long?

Russo's had few misteps, the only one being his decision to challenge Sandre Swanson for the California Assembly seat Swanson has filled well and just successfully retained. Otherwise, John's success has been remarkable.

But where John could have failed while if office, he succeeded there, too. He established the Neighborhood Law Corps, where young lawyers work to reach out and listen to the needs and concerns of people in Oakland's poorest areas. Russo ended the decades of costly legal animosity between Oakland and its sports teams. And he's created a staff of good and capable lawyers where the quality of that part of the organization was questioned in the past.

Russo -- if he continues to remain in his position -- can wield considerable power in Oakland, perhaps more than the Mayor, regardless of who that is. Fortunately, Russo does not use power in a clumsy fashion, and is well aware of how what he does looks politically, and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

Nancy Nadel Retains District Three Council Seat

Oakland District Three Councilmember Nancy Nadel retained her seat and assured that there would be no November runoff election, as she captured over 50 percent of the vote. Here are the totals, below:

Contest # of Votes % of Total

Nancy Nadel 3576 51.65
Sean Sullivan 1873 27.05
Gregory Hodge 1435 20.73
Write-in 40 0.58

As I wrote earlier, the low voter turnout favored incumbents like Nadel. As this study by the Institute of Research On Public Policy shows, areas that have high income, university-educated people, and where the unemployment is higher and the immigrant populations are largr, it can be argued that Oakland, even in Adams Point, has it's share of problems that caused this low turnout.

Also, the challenging candidates didn't do enough to tell their stories to people around them, like me. And they didn't have Nancy's track record of doing "nuts and bolts" constituent work. For example, I backed Nancy and for three reasons: first, others I talked to said that when they called her for help with City-related matters, she delivered. Period.

Second, Nancy bothered to take the time to personally call me and ask for my backing. That was a first for this blog and blogger. I never got a call from either Greg Hodge and Sean Sullivan at all.

Third, Nancy has mellowed with age. Once known for her prickly behavior, Councilmenber Nadel seems more grounded and settled. She's displaying a new perspective, and others like me and friends have notice -- she cares on a personal level and it shows. So it seemed logical to me to back a person who was the incumbent but happened to have a "new" approach after decades of the same-ol-same-ol. This new Nancy understands how to reach out to people, and that's what she did. Good for her.

By contrast, Sean Sullivan, who was the Internet favorite, all but gave me the cold shoulder at his post-election gathering at the Washington Inn. I was there because a good friend of mine insisted I come, but in retrospect, I'm glad I attended. But not because of Sullivan's approach. When I went to shake Sean's hand, he did so, but then took his hand away abruptly and turned away from me.

Hey, Sean, the endorsement of Nadel was nothing personal against you. I'm also sure that Greg Hodge would not have gave the same "You ate my food" reaction to me. This may seem small because that's what it is. But to an elected official seeking publicity, bloggers can be your worst enemy or your best friend. We're the gate-keepers for many who don't have time to "find out for themselves."

I wish Sean and Greg the best and hope they keep fighting the good fight and help Councilmember Nadel.

Alameda County Voter Turnout Just 24 Percent

The split primary proved to be a major disappointment to those hoping for another large election turnout.

Without the excitement of the Presidential Race, where Barack Obama gave a rousing speech after he became the presumptive Democratic Nominee, and perhaps due to a desire to stay and home and see history in the making, only 24 percent of registered voters participated in this election yesterday (it's about 3 AM now.)

Here are the numbers:
Reg / Turnout Percentage

Total Registration 725098
Election Day Reporting Ballots Cast 69642 9.60
Absentee Reporting Ballots Cast 106093 14.63
Total Ballots Cast 175735 24.24

Normally, such low turnout numbers favor incumbents, and that's what happened today.