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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.

I'm not sure I got the value of East Bay Express and Former Oakland Tribune Writer Robert Gammon's recent works on Oakland Council candidates Mario Juarez and Clinton Killian , except that both gossip works added nothing to the campaign race. Gammon spilled the beans on Juarez problems with the Boy Scouts as a youth and on Killian's financial issues, but to read it was like fingers against a blackboard. Annoying. I think everyone deserves a second chance and why that's not true for either Juarez or Killian is not clear to me, nor, I'll bet, can Gammon explain it. That written, Robert's still one hell of a researcher, that's for sure.

The office of Mario Juarez , the real estate business man running for the Oakland City Council District Five currently held by Council Prsident Ignacio De La Fuente, was vandelized. Someone took a hammer and smashed in each of the six windows and doors of the office Friday night at 10:30 PM. I talked to Juarez about this; he said he'd not seen anything like it outside of Mexico City. I also asked him if it was connected to the authors of the " Oakland City Crook " blog that takes every bit of bad news about him and presents it in one blog. I've never seen this happen in an election in Oakland. Sad. Regardless of his past, Juarez should be left alone.

UPDATE: According to sources, "Norma" was an employee who was released for a reason that the Juarez staff would not explain. Moreover, neither Mario Juarez nor any of his staffers would confirm or deny the information given to this blogger. It's alleged that she falsified documents in a way that would have been damaging to Juarez business at the time in 2008. Other sources claim that "Norma" had a cozy relationship with Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente - not sex cozy. Moreover, her email turned up only once in an Internet search - in this blog 2008 entry. One rule that I have learned in politics and life is to first, clean up whatever mess you've made before you do anything else. Second, pay your dues. We all make mistakes but we also must admit to them, and then work to clean them up. That rule is especially true for Mario Juarez, who's running for the Oakland City Council District Five seat currently held by Ignacio De La Fuente.