Incumbents Favored in Menlo Park, Atherton Council Elections

By Bay City News Service:

Incumbents were re-elected Tuesday to a majority of seats in eight city council races across San Mateo County, according to complete unofficial election results.

Daly City Councilmembers Ray Buenaventura and Michael Guingona won two of three seats up for election while former councilmember Judith Christensen won the third seat.

In East Palo Alto, Donna Rutherford and Ruben Abrica were both re-elected to their City Council seats, while in Menlo Park, all three incumbents -- Peter Ohtaki, Kirsten Keith and Rich Cline -- were also re-elected, according to the complete unofficial results.

Incumbents Rick Degolia and Bill Widmer appear to have been re-elected to the Atherton Town Council to two of the three open seats. A mere six votes separate architect Rose Hau in third place and attorney Mike Lempres in fourth place for the final open spot, according to the unofficial results.

Pacifica voters elected incumbents Sue Digre and Michael O’Neill as well as retired small businessman John Keener, while Colma voters sent incumbents Joanne Del Rosario and Helen Fisicaro back to their Town Council and Hillsborough voters sent incumbents Laurence May and Marie Chuang to theirs.

Half Moon Bay was the rare city in the county to favor challengers over incumbents.

Physician Deborah Penrose and legislative analyst Deborah Ruddock were elected to their first terms while Rick Kowalczyk appears to be the lone councilmember re-elected to his post.

(IMAGE via Shutterstock)