Election results show win for Downey

Rick Downey is the official winner of the Angels Camp City Council election, with 47 percent of the vote, the Calaveras County Elections Department confirmed Thursday.

Downey will be sworn in at noon on Dec. 4, which, as required by California election code, is the first Friday in December.
   

He will join the council for the first time — and get his first chance to provide a tie-breaking vote — at its regularly scheduled meeting Dec. 15.    

The council has been down to four members since the May death of long-time Councilman Paul Raggio.

Downey received 533 total votes, compared to 456, or 41 percent, for his closest challenger, Betty Raggio, Paul Raggio’s widow.

George Fry, who vowed to run again next year, finished third, with 129 votes or 11 percent.

A total of 1,123 voters went to the polls during Tuesday’s special election, just 29 percent of the electorate and less than a third of the turnout of either of the previous elections.

“It was fairly low turnout,” said Christine Fouts, Calaveras County elections coordinator.

The previous two votes were during presidential election cycles, which typically boost turnout, Fouts said.

In the only other county election, Dennis Peterson and Bruce Brown won seats on the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District board, with 40 percent and 30 percent of the vote respectively.

After the preliminary count, Brown had held just a 16-vote lead over the race’s third candidate, John Boston, but he widened the gap in the final recount, tallying 445 votes to Boston’s 419.

In the only other county election, Dennis Peterson and Bruce Brown won seats on the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District board, with 40 percent and 30 percent of the vote respectively.

After the preliminary count, Brown had held just a 16-vote lead over the race’s third candidate, John Boston, but he widened the gap in the final recount, tallying 445 votes to Boston’s 419.