Cloutier's mayoral race too close to call

Tue, Nov 13th 2007, 15:53
Davis edges past Cloutier in Vallejo's mayoral race
Final results probably not available for week or more, officials say
By SARAH ROHRS/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 11/09/2007

Vallejoans may not be able to say with certainty who their mayor is until a week or more, a county election official said.

"The vote is too close to declare one way or the other," said current Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. "I've never been in a race like this and I would never want to be. I would never want to wait this long for results."

The race for Vallejo's top political seat was a statistical dead heat after voters went to the polls Tuesday. Both Cloutier and Davis had 5,158 votes each. Davis got the one-vote lead after thousands of absentee ballots were counted Thursday afternoon.

Davis now has 5,602 votes while Cloutier has 5,601.

However, the Vallejo mayor's contest is not over, and several observers say the race proves the power of each vote.

"This election proves that 'Yes, your vote counted,' " said former Vallejo City Councilman Foster Hicks, Davis' co-campaign chairperson. "People say their vote doesn't count, but that's a lie."

County election workers still need to count 840 provisional ballots. Assistant Registrar of Voters Lindsey McWilliams could not say how many of those ballots are from Vallejo, but added the outcome could easily change for Davis and Cloutier.

McWilliams said it may not be until Tuesday or Wednesday when he'll have a better idea of when Vallejo's voting results can be certified and declared final.

Final vote counts might also change after county workers reconcile voting records from each precinct, he said. To reconcile, workers compare the number of signatures with the number of ballots cast, he said.

Despite the uncertainty hanging over the mayor's race, Davis said he felt good and believed he would eventually win. He stressed he will not declare himself a winner until all the ballots are counted, and the county certifies the results.

"At this point I'm obviously satisfied I'm ahead," Davis said. "I really believe we're winning this. I really believe that," he added.

Cloutier could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon. His campaign manager, Pam Keith, said Cloutier is not conceding the race. She said he would ask for a recount if the margin is anything less than 100 votes.

"Until the whole thing is counted there's no reason to give up hope," Keith said. "When I'm looking at just one vote, that doesn't make me lose hope. I'm not going to lose hope for all his supporters."

She added it was sad fewer than 5,700 voters will determine who holds the mayor's seat. Some 45,554 are registered to vote in Vallejo.

"I find that tragic. We are at a crossroads - at a pivotal time in Vallejo. That not more people went out to vote breaks my heart," Keith said.

The election turn-out countywide was nearly 37 percent, but Vallejo's turn-out rate was not immediately clear.

With absentee ballots counted, mayoral contender Pamela Pitts remained in third, though her vote count increased 349 votes. Cris Villanueva's got 180 more votes.

With several more anxious days ahead, Hicks said he was "feeling very confident right now." Davis' campaign co-chair Margaret Plump said she's positive about a victory.

Meanwhile, Cloutier supporter Diana Lang said she is also hopeful he will win the race. She stressed that until there's a final vote count, no one should make an assumption about the final outcome.

Benicia Councilman Steve Gizzi, who lost by one vote to Pepe Arteaga in 1992, said losing by such a small margin does not mean a failed campaign.

"You can't look at it and say you failed with your campaign. That was one guy (voter) who got a flat tire, or didn't have enough money to get over the bridge," Gizzi said.

Gizzi said he asked for a recount and found some irregularities, but then decided not to pursue the issue further. "It was a mess. It was dirty, but then I figured I'll just run again," he said, recalling he won by a large margin in his second try.

He advised Cloutier not to give up until the last vote was counted, and Davis not to pop the cork on the Martinelli's apple cider just yet.