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Solano County

Measure E

Solano County. Sales tax. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes45.8%
58,141 votes
No54.1%
68,688 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Solano County Supervisor, District 3

Top candidate wins seat.

Wanda Williams58.6%
11,739 votes
Chuck Timm41.3%
8,265 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Benicia City Council

Top two candidates win seat.

Terry Scott24.7%
5,670 votes
Kari Birdseye23.7%
5,435 votes
Lionel Largaespada(incumbent)23%
5,283 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

U.S. House of Representatives, District 4

Top candidate wins seat.

Mike Thompson (D)(incumbent)67.8%
176,900 votes
Matt Brock (R)32.1%
84,007 votes
Race called at 11:06 PM PT on November 8, 2022
100% of votes countedAssociated Press
This percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.

U.S. House of Representatives, District 7

Top candidate wins seat.

Doris Matsui (D)(incumbent)68.2%
150,618 votes
Max Semenenko (R)31.7%
70,033 votes
Race called at 11:06 PM PT on November 8, 2022
100% of votes countedAssociated Press
This percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.

U.S. House of Representatives, District 8

Top candidate wins seat.

John Garamendi (D)(incumbent)75.7%
145,501 votes
Rudy Recile (R)24.2%
46,634 votes
Race called at 9:07 PM PT on November 8, 2022
100% of votes countedAssociated Press
This percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.

State Assembly, District 11

Top candidate wins seat.

Lori Wilson (D)(incumbent)59.2%
85,599 votes
Jenny Callison (NPP)40.7%
58,889 votes
Race called at 5:25 PM PT on November 11, 2022
99% of votes countedAssociated Press
This percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.

Measure D

Dixon. Sales tax. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes43.9%
2,674 votes
No56%
3,412 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure K

Benicia. Urban growth boundary. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes81.7%
10,462 votes
No18.2%
2,330 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure M

Travis Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.

Yes50%
3,654 votes
No49.9%
3,653 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure P

Vallejo. Sales tax. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes54.6%
16,923 votes
No45.3%
14,028 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure Q

Vacaville Unified School District. School bond.

Yes43.5%
12,001 votes
No56.4%
15,555 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure R

Benicia. Sales tax. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes48.8%
6,300 votes
No51.1%
6,594 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Measure S

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. Bond measure.

Yes55%
19,493 votes
No44.9%
15,932 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Dixon City Council, District 1

Top candidate wins seat.

Jim Ernest66.7%
995 votes
Michael Ceremello33.2%
496 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Dixon City Council, District 2

Top candidate wins seat.

Thom Bogue50.9%
536 votes
Scott Pederson49%
516 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Dixon City Clerk

Top candidate wins seat.

Kristin M. Janisch(incumbent)100%
4,610 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Fairfield Mayor

Top candidate wins seat.

Catherine "Cat" Moy43%
12,055 votes
Harry T. Price(incumbent)40%
11,202 votes
Chauncey Banks16.8%
4,713 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Fairfield City Council, District 1

Top candidate wins seat.

K. Patrice Williams36.1%
2,121 votes
Nora Dizon35.9%
2,109 votes
George Kennedy27.9%
1,641 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Fairfield City Council, District 3

Top candidate wins seat.

Doug Carr59.2%
3,032 votes
David Verza40.7%
2,084 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Fairfield City Council, District 5

Top candidate wins seat.

Doriss Panduro(incumbent)61.8%
1,599 votes
Scott Mulvey28.2%
729 votes
Jeremy Ferrell9.9%
257 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Rio Vista City Council

Top two candidates win seat.

Edwin A. Okamura(incumbent)50.6%
3,397 votes
Eric "Rick" Dolk(incumbent)49.3%
3,313 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Rio Vista City Council, Short Term

Top candidate wins seat.

Sarah Donnelly62.7%
3,033 votes
Robie Williams(incumbent)37.2%
1,799 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Suisun City Mayor

Top candidate wins seat.

Alma Hernandez63%
4,215 votes
James Berg36.9%
2,474 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Suisun City Mayor, Short Term

Top candidate wins seat.

Larry Brumfield100%
4,808 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Suisun City Council

Top two candidates win seat.

Princess Washington23.3%
2,693 votes
Jenalee Dawson19.8%
2,288 votes
Charles H. Lee Jr.19.5%
2,259 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vacaville Mayor

Top candidate wins seat.

John Carli49%
14,278 votes
Jason Roberts34.2%
9,982 votes
Joe Green16.7%
4,865 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vacaville City Council, District 2

Top candidate wins seat.

Gregory Ritchie II(incumbent)56.2%
3,545 votes
Joe Desmarais43.7%
2,758 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vacaville City Council, District 4

Top candidate wins seat.

Sarah Chapman42.5%
1,533 votes
Kristen Navarro39.8%
1,437 votes
Christian Scott17.6%
637 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vacaville City Council, District 6

Top candidate wins seat.

Jeanette Wylie(incumbent)43.8%
2,295 votes
Raymond Beaty35.3%
1,850 votes
Jennifer House10.6%
556 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vallejo City Council, District 2

Top candidate wins seat.

Diosdado "JR" Matulac37.2%
1,421 votes
Cassandra James26%
994 votes
Don Jordan19.2%
734 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vallejo City Council, District 4

Top candidate wins seat.

Charles Palmares35.1%
1,413 votes
Ruscal Cayangyang33.6%
1,351 votes
Ravi Shankar16.3%
657 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vallejo City Council, District 5

Top candidate wins seat.

Peter Bregenzer34.2%
1,702 votes
Tara Beasley-Stansberry26%
1,295 votes
Tanya Hall16%
795 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Dixon Unified School District Board

Top three candidates win seat.

Julian Y. Cuevas25.5%
3,711 votes
John Gabby22.3%
3,255 votes
Jewel Fink(incumbent)20.7%
3,018 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, Trustee Area 5

Top candidate wins seat.

Jack Flynn51.1%
1,516 votes
Jonathan R. Richardson(incumbent)48.8%
1,446 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Travis Unified School District Board

Top two candidates win seat.

Matthew Bidou27.9%
2,923 votes
Will Wade25.7%
2,695 votes
Riitta DeAnda(incumbent)19.9%
2,088 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vacaville Unified School District Board

Top candidate wins seat.

Nancy Dunn52.6%
2,020 votes
Jacqui Nguyen47.3%
1,817 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Vallejo City Unified School District Board, Trustee Area 5

Top candidate wins seat.

John Fox56.5%
3,671 votes
Ralph (Tony) Gross27.4%
1,781 votes
Ajit S. Bhandal16%
1,045 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Winters Joint Unified School District Board, Trustee Area 2

Top candidate wins seat.

Carrie Green(incumbent)63.6%
177 votes
Robert Warren36.3%
101 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County
 

Measure E

Should Solano County enact a one-eighth cent sales tax to pay for county services?

The tax would raise about $9 million a year for the general fund. Read the full measure here.

Solano County. Sales tax. Passes with a majority vote.

Yes45.8%
58,141 votes
No54.1%
68,688 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Yes Argument

Solano County needs more money for wildfire prevention and other crucial safety measures to address growing public safety risks in our region. The LNU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020 killed two residents and destroyed hundreds of homes. New general fund dollars could pay for more firefighting equipment and fund the hiring of new staff to reduce 911 response times.

No Argument

Revenue raised by Measure E will go to the general fund, and there is no guarantee about what the money will be spent on. If supervisors want to boost spending on public safety and firefighting, they should make cuts elsewhere. Local merchants are already struggling to compete with online retailers; a sales tax increase will add yet another burden.

 

Supervisor, District 3

Suisun City Councilmember Wanda Williams and Fairfield City Councilmember Chuck Timm are competing in a runoff to succeed Supervisor Jim Spering in a district that includes Fairfield and Suisun City. In the primary, Williams received 35% of the vote and Timm received 27% of the vote.

Top candidate wins seat.

Wanda Williams58.6%
11,739 votes
Chuck Timm41.3%
8,265 votes
Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Candidates

Wanda Williams
Suisun City Councilmember
Chuck Timm
Fairfield Councilmember
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.

Homelessness

Both candidates have named homelessness as the top issue facing the county. What is your plan for helping unhoused people living here?

Williams is calling for the county to spend more on mental health resources and affordable housing — including units reserved for people in the workforce. She says, as a supervisor, she intends to encourage city governments in Solano County to collaborate. She also says Gov. Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court plan is crucially important for assisting the family members of those with schizophrenia or other mental illnesses who often lack the ability to help their loved ones. “We need to make sure that we’re helping individuals help their family (members),” she says. 

Timm says Fairfield has spent $8.5 million trying to reduce homelessness since 2018. He says he is “very excited” about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court plan to compel treatment for the severely mentally ill, because “unless we take care of the mentally ill and addicted, nothing will change.” And before they promise new affordable housing, Timm says supervisors first need to identify: “Where does the money come from?”

Sheriff's Office

After accusations of use of excessive force within the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, and reports that some deputies have shown support for anti-government militias, the county Board of Supervisors considered, but ultimately rejected, the creation of a citizen oversight committee for the department. Would you support the creation of that committee?

Williams says she would like to see a “hybrid approach” in which “citizens, along with our sheriff’s department, come together and have these discussions” about how law enforcement officers engage with the community. The Board of Supervisors oversees the department’s budget, Williams notes, and can use the power of the purse to push for reforms such as more community policing, instead of an overreliance on patrolling.

Timm, a former police sergeant, opposes the creation of an oversight body for the sheriff’s office. He questions how a board would be appointed, and warns it could end up being “highly political.” The sheriff’s office “has oversight. It’s called the attorney general, it’s called the grand jury,” he says.

Cannabis

The Board of Supervisors has banned cannabis businesses in unincorporated parts of the county, even as dispensaries have been legalized in many cities here. Do you support the expansion of cannabis businesses in the county?

Williams says she was proud to support the opening of the first cannabis dispensary in Suisun City, in 2021, and says tax revenue from it has thus far outperformed her expectations. She also voted to create a Cannabis Business Zone, in which certain land is zoned for the development of cannabis businesses, and says she hopes to welcome more dispensaries to the city. “They’re all going to help generate revenue. This benefits my city 100%,” she adds.

Timm notes he has voted to approve four cannabis businesses and a cannabis manufacturing facility in Fairfield, because, he says, “they make a boatload of money.” He says stiff state regulations alleviate any safety concerns, and says he hasn’t seen any negative effects in the communities where these businesses already operate. And, he adds, from the city tax revenue perspective, “business is business.”

Key Supporters
This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.

 

Benicia City Council

Five candidates are vying for two seats on the Benicia City Council, including incumbents Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada. The other contenders include Terry Scott, Kari Birdseye and William “Billy” Innes. Valero, which operates a refinery in the city, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on recent local elections here. The last two elections have pitted candidates backed by the oil giant against those pushing for stricter environmental and campaign-finance regulations.

Top two candidates win seat.

Terry Scott24.7%
5,670 votes
Kari Birdseye23.7%
5,435 votes
Lionel Largaespada(incumbent)23%
5,283 votes

Updated at 6:21 PM PT on November 29, 2022
Solano County

Candidates

Christina Strawbridge
Benicia Councilmember
Lionel Largaespada
Benicia Councilmember
Terry Scott
Retired Business Executive
Kari Birdseye
Communication Specialist
Billy Innes
Former Educator
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, statements made at debates and public events and past news coverage.

Priorities

What are your priorities for the future of Benicia?

Strawbridge is a small-business owner and former planning commissioner. She touts the council’s recent efforts in revitalizing the downtown area and bringing staffing stability to city government during the pandemic — work she says she can build on. She says she aspires to maintain the city’s financial health and make it affordable for city employees.

Largaespada is the director of a local land-survey services company. He says he wants to address the high cost of water and sewer bills, invest in the city’s police and firefighting departments, stimulate the local economy, expand public parking downtown and improve the local roads.

Scott, a retired executive for toymaker Hasbro, says Benicia needs to invest in public safety, clean air and water, and stable infrastructure while also ensuring local government is financially secure and the city is economically vibrant — while at the same time preserving its small-town character.

Birdseye, a current planning commissioner, longtime environmentalist, and former journalist, says Benicia needs to diversify its tax base and work to attract clean-energy companies in an effort to prepare for a future in which the city is not as financially reliant on the Valero refinery.

Innes, a retired teacher, says he wants to get rid of Valero’s influence on city politics, limit development in downtown Benicia, provide more protections to renters, and expand a program that allows people to ride Lyft for $5 if traveling within city limits. 

Valero

Benicia’s Valero refinery suffered significant accidents in 2017 and 2019, and was recently found to have been releasing hazardous chemicals for years without reporting it. What are your views on the refinery and its influential, well-funded political action committee?

Strawbridge says Valero’s secretive release of emissions is not acceptable and damages the trust the city was building with the company. She also disavows the PAC and insists she was used by it as a pawn to attack Mayor Steve Young in the last election and wants no part of Valero’s campaigning.

Largaespada says Valero has been cooperative with city staff and members of the public for years, worked to create air-monitoring and incident-notification programs, and is a significant contributor to the city’s tax base. On the other hand, he says, he understands why some residents don’t trust the company. He says the PAC’s use of negative ads is unacceptable and divisive.

Scott acknowledges the health concerns associated with the refinery, but underscores the critical importance of the company to the city’s economy. He says he aspires to help repair the frayed relationship between the refinery and city government, and has called for the company to be more transparent in its operations and to pay a higher rate for the huge amount of water it uses.

Birdseye, a longtime opponent of the refinery, has called for a robust independent air-monitoring system and stronger regulations to keep the company more accountable. She says she was attacked by the PAC the last time she ran for City Council.

Innes says the company’s unreported releases destroyed trust with the city, and is critical of how influential it has become in city elections. He has criticized the company’s PAC as deceptive and disingenuous and referred to its political expenditures as frightening and repugnant.

Affordability

What are your ideas for addressing the affordability crisis?

Strawbridge says the council should push for more housing development, particularly for lower-income residents and essential city workers like teachers, firefighters and police officers, many of whom can’t afford to live in Benicia and instead commute long distances from Fairfield and Vacaville. She says the city should explore former industrial sites, shopping centers and even the city cemetery as places for potential housing locations. 

Largaespada says Benicia should work with other Solano County cities to establish a housing joint powers authority to create more housing opportunities for middle-income residents. He says the city should give residents a say in the decision-making process over new developments, including their concerns about environmental impacts, traffic and infrastructure demands.

Scott says the city needs to build more affordable housing, but thinks that using open space for housing developments should be the “very last tier considered.”

Birdseye says she intends to build on the work she’s already done as a member of the planning commission to push forward hundreds of units. She also says the city should focus on “smart infill development opportunities.”

Innes says the city needs to address “not in my backyard” concerns from some residents and monitor efforts to get approvals for affordable housing projects that are made less affordable in the future.

Key Supporters
This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
This list represents notable organizations and officials who have taken a position on the ballot measure, or who are funding the campaigns in support or in opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.