“This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch.” – Diane Gibson-Gray

To the Editor:

In 2022, I ran for Antioch City Council, District 1, because I believe in serving the greater good of this community. That race came down to four votes — Tamisha Torres-Walker’s margin of victory over Joy Motts. I finished just 128 votes behind Torres-Walker myself.

I’ve thought hard about what that result actually tells us. Together, Joy and I represented roughly 60% of the vote in that race. We split it, and a three-vote margin decided the outcome for all of District 1.

I fully intended to run again in 2026. My commitment to fiscal accountability and transparent government in Antioch hasn’t wavered. My reason for running was, and always has been, the greater good — making sound decisions for District 1 and for Antioch as a whole.

Yesterday, Joy Motts and I had a conversation about the race. We talked through the reasons each of us is qualified to serve, and the reasons we each felt called to run. The call ended the same way it began, with both of us still in the race.

I’ve seen comments on social media about vote-splitting, and I’ve had conversations with valued friends and family who share that concern. After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to withdraw — for the greater good. Joy Motts and I have real differences in experience, style and approach, and in many ways have similar ideas and values. District 1 voters deserve to hear those differences clearly, head-to-head with Tamisha Torres-Walker, not blurred across a three-way field.

This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch — it’s making sure that fight is decided by voters, not by how the numbers happen to fall. I’ll continue doing the work I’ve always done in this community, watching the budgets and asking hard questions, from outside the ballot box this time.

I wish both candidates a hard-fought, honest campaign. District 1 deserves nothing less. The outcome is theirs to decide.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who signed my nomination papers, and everyone who encouraged and supported me along the way. Your belief in me and in this community means more than I can say.

Sincerely,

Diane Gibson-Gray

Antioch, CA

the attachments to this post:

Diane Gibson-Gray & ACC Elections 2026

This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2026 at 5:15 pm and is filed under City Council, News, Politics & Elections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.