17 of 19 and 5 of 6
With the votes now counted and the dust settling from this year’s raucous election season, victory can be claimed for 17 of the 19 Chamber-endorsed candidates:
- Jared Huffman, U.S. Representative CA-2
- Mike Thompson, U.S. Representative CA-5
- Bill Dodd, California State Senate 3rd District
- Jim Wood, California State Assembly 2nd District
- Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, California State Assembly 4th District
- Marc Levine, California State Assembly 10th District
- Susan Gorin, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors 1st District
- Shirlee Zane, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors 3rd District
- Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors 5th District
- Ernesto Olivares, Santa Rosa City Council
- Chris Rogers, Santa Rosa City Council
- Jack Tibbetts, Santa Rosa City Council
- Don Edgar, Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees
- Evelyn Anderson, Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education
- Laurie Fong, Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education
- Jenni Klose, Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education
- Ed Sheffield, Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education
"We are very pleased with these outcomes," said Chamber President Jonathan Coe. "It demonstrates how our Chamber plays a role in the electoral process and how we can elect candidates most likely to listen to the needs and concerns of our members as we advocate on their behalf."
The Chamber was also successful on five of the six recommendations on ballot issues. Voters agreed with all of the Chamber's recommendations on three state-wide propositions and two local measures:
- Approving Proposition 51: School Bonds critical to funding school facility development and needed to match Santa Rosa City Schools projects;
- Approving Proposition 54: Prohibits the State Legislature from passing any bill without 72 hour notice on the internet;
- Rejecting Proposition 53: Requires voter approval for projects over $2 billion funded by revenue bonds;
- Approving Measure O: Amendment to former Measure O to tie funding for public safety to a percentage of the total City of Santa Rosa budget;
- Approving Measure N: Extension of the quarter cent sales tax (Measure P) in Santa Rosa through 2026.
The Chamber extends our congratulations to all those who were successful yesterday and to the hardworking campaigners who advocated for the various ballot issues. Moving forward, the Chamber’s Advocacy Council is solidifying their agenda for next year, and looks forward to working with elected officials at all levels on issues of importance to businesses and our economy.