Challenger Lauren Posada overtakes Jim Davis by 16 votes in Antioch Treasurer’s race

Semi-Official Results Update #4 shows Lauren Posada pulling ahead by 16 votes in the race for Antioch City Treasurer on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

Householder expands her lead over Arne Simonsen in the City Clerk’s race; Walker also expands her lead over Motts in District 1 Council race

By Allen Payton

With 1,200 ballots left to count countywide, as of today’s Semi-Official Results Update #4 from the Contra Costa Elections Division, newcomer and challenger Lauren Posada has pulled ahead of appointed incumbent Jim Davis by just 16 votes in the race for Antioch City Treasurer. Posada now has 21,074 votes and he has 21,058.

In the City Clerk’s race Antioch School Board Trustee Ellie Householder has increased her lead over incumbent Arne Simonsen to 113 votes. Householder has 16,667 votes to his 16,554.

A total of 42,472 votes were cast in the Clerk’s race, 42,132 in the Treasurer’s race and 44,400 in the race for Mayor of Antioch, which was more than the total of 42,989 votes that were cast in all four of the council races

Efforts to reach Lauren Posada for comment was unsuccessful prior to publication.

An attempt to reach Simonsen asking if he was ready to offer Householder congratulations or considering requesting a recount was also unsuccessful. However, in a post on his Facebook page Friday afternoon, Simonsen appears to have conceded the election writing, “Well, it appears that the voters in Antioch are going to let me retire and spend more time in Scotland.”

When asked if was considering requesting a recount, Davis responded, “A recount would be too expensive.” Asked how much he said, “$25,000 deposit to start. The county eats the fee (no charge to the candidate) if it results in a change of outcome. California is one of the few states that don’t provide for automatic recount even if under 0.5% which is about where I’m at.”

Asked if he was going to congratulate Posada, now or wait until the election is certified, Davis responded “once certified.”

Davis said he was “disappointed that she slandered me. I saw where she alluded that I was not transparent and not trustworthy. Do you realize she stands to collect two retirement contributions now, and receive compensation for half of her medical benefit as a cash payment monthly? Sounds like double dipping to me.”

Asked why he didn’t bring that out during the campaign, he didn’t respond. But Davis continued his comments about his opponent with, “She said repeatedly in her FB posts. ‘I’m your transparent and trustworthy City Treasure Candidate.’”

“Plus, there is still the conflict of interest. Maybe not legal – but certainly the perception and potential conflict of interest,” Davis shared. “Back in the day that was not good for any politician. But what used to be bad is now good, and what used to be good is now bad in politics. The world is changing…at least in Antioch.”

City Council District 1

In the only other close race in Antioch, newcomer Tamisha Walker solidified her winning lead over incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts to 206 votes in the District 1 City Council race. Walker has 2,668 votes to Motts’ 2,462. Former Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Manny Soliz is in a close third place with 2,400 votes exactly making it the closest race out of the four for city council.

On her campaign Facebook page on Friday, Nov. 13 Walker wrote, “WE DID IT! Thank you, Antioch District 1! This victory is for us!

I am so excited and honored to represent my neighborhood of District 1 in bringing our issues to city council and begin working at improving the quality of life in Antioch for all residents.

This election is only the beginning!

This campaign and movement is a grassroots community effort and Antioch we have organizing to do together.

Like the Antioch Together Car Caravan we will drive hate out of Antioch together. Together we will inspire compassion and courage across all of Antioch for each other and for our future generations to benefit from.

We are still going to need to show up for each other beyond the polls! The change we want is the change we work for. We need all our communities in the other districts to come together and make sure that citywide policies are equitable, fair and just.

To my neighbors in District 1, Thank you to every voter for showing up at the polls whether you voted for Joy, Manuel, or me, your vote means a lot to our immediate future and wellbeing of Antioch!

I look forward to showing up for you the way you showed up on Election Day!

Thank You Antioch!

We will be hosting a Virtual Live Celebration soon! Stay Tuned!

#Readytowin, #elections2020, #antioch, #leadership, # grassroots, #fundwomen

The seats for both Walker and Councilwoman Monica Wilson, who was re-elected in District 4, will be up for election, again in 2022.

An attempt to reach Motts asking if she will now offer congratulations to Walker, as she hasn’t yet posted one on either of her Facebook pages, or if she’s considering requesting a recount, was also unsuccessful prior to publication.

The county Elections Division has 28 days to certify the election and ballots could still arrive up  until today and still be counted, as long as they were postmarked by Election Day. One more final update is expected in the next week. According to Assistant Registrar of Voters, Scott Konopasek “certification…is expected to be November 30. All results remain unofficial until certification.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

 

 


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Lauren Posada pulls ahead by 16 votes 11-20-20


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