Elections

Latest results show the gap among the top four candidates has narrowed considerably in the race for State Senator in District 13, which includes Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View.

Measure D was the Mountain View City Council’s attempt at a compromise proposal that would retain rent control while cutting the landlords some slack. But voters, in a city in which approximately two-thirds of the residents are renters, weren’t having it.

The measure, which would have raised the cap on annual rent increases to 4%, was soundly defeated in the March 3 primary election.

Note: This story has been updated to correct errors that appeared in the print edition.

Los Altos and Mountain View residents have multiple reasons to take an active interest in the March 3 primary election.

Several initiatives on the ballot are asking for money. Measures G and H, put forward by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, propose an $898 million bond and a $5.6 million parcel tax, respectively. Measure T, in the Mountain View Whisman School District, proposes a $259 million bond, while south Los Altos voters will weigh in on a Cupertino Union School District request for a $4.3 million parcel tax under Measure O.

It took nearly two weeks, but supporters and opponents of local candidates and ballot measures in the Nov. 6 election are now fairly certain how residents voted – with one exception.

In Mountain View, incumbent Councilwoman Pat Showalter benefited from a flurry of late ballots to come from 155 votes behind at one point and overtake challenger Alison Hicks in the race for the third open city council seat. Showalter did not take a lead in the vote count until nearly a week after the election. As of Monday, that race was still too close to call, with 14 votes separating the two candidates.

Los Altos resident Alex Glew lost his bid for the District 24 State Assembly seat held by incumbent Marc Berman.

With most of the vote counted Monday, Berman was ahead with 62,796 votes, or 75.23 percent of the tally. Glew totaled 20,120 (24.27 percent).

Editor's update (Wednesday, Nov. 14): The Town Crier may be guilty of a "Dewey Beats Truman" scenario here. Results within the last day show a dramatic shifting of election results with incumbent Councilwoman Pat Showalter leapfrogging into third place in the race for the third open council seat. Candidate Alison Hicks has since dropped to fourth while Lucas Ramirez has risen to second place behind Ellen Kamei. For the latest on Showalter's gains, click here.

In a repudiation of the current city council’s direction, Mountain View residents last week voted out incumbent Mayor Lenny Siegel and fellow Councilwoman Pat Showalter, while electing three newcomers to the council.