Residents Elect Three New Council Members, Recall Councilmember Baca

Moreno Valley voters recalled current Moreno Valley District 5 Councilmember Victoria Baca and elected three new individuals to represent the city's Districts 2, 4 and 5. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters as of Monday, Nov. 10, reported Corey Jackson, with 21.76 percent of the vote, winning election to represent Moreno Valley's District 2. Jackson defeated opponents Alvin Horn with 3.62 percent of the vote; Charles Robert, with 3.68 percent of the vote; Glenn Fitzgerald Jacobs with 11.61 percent of the vote; Jeffrey Giba with 21.42 percent of the vote; Debra Craig with 9.06 percent of the vote; Marcia Amino with 12.40 percent of the vote; Madelene Muntz with 4.74 percent of the vote; and Luke Fuller with 11.70 percent of the vote. Yxstian Gutierrez, who was appointed to the council in 2013 to fill a vacancy left by former Councilmember Marcelo Co after he resigned in August 2013 following his arrest on charges of fraud, won election to the council with a 32.75 percent vote. Gutierrez beat out opponents Wraymond Sawyerr with 19.85 percent of the vote; Lori Nickel with 8.59 percent of the vote; Weldon Boone with 4.40 percent of the vote; Gwendolyn Cross with 19.33 percent of the vote; Jaime Moreno with 6.64 percent of the vote; and Robin Wetmore with 8.45 percent of the vote. District 5 Councilmember Victoria Baca was recalled by residents with a 61.63 percent Yes vote to a 38.37 percent No vote. Residents voted in Ladonna Jempson to replace Baca on the council in the event of her recall. Jempson earned 76.10 percent of the vote to beat out her opponent for the seat, Donovan Saadiq, who took 23.90 percent of the vote. In the Moreno Valley Unified School District, incumbents Jesus Holguin, Cleveland "CJ" JOhnson and Gary Baugh were re-elected to serve as board members. Holguin took 30.70 percent of the vote, Johnson 25.35 percent and Baugh 23.16 percent. Opponent Delorise Anderson garnered 20.80 percent of the vote. Val Verde Unified School District incumbents Shelley Yarbrough and Michael Vargas were re-elected to serve on the board, Yarbrough voted in with 28.27 percent of the votes and Vargas with 23.16 percent. Voters also elected Julio Gonzalez to the board, as he took 25.68 percent of votes. Candidates Damon Navarro and Joe Esparza did not win election, holding 8.91 percent and 13.98 percent of the votes, respectively. Moreno Valley Unified School District Board President Tracey Vackar won election to the Riverside Community College District Trustee Area 5, holding 36.44 percent of the votes. Vackar bested opponents Steve Collier, with 14.32 percent; Samuel Davis, with 18.11 percent; Keri Then, with 10.67 percent; and Angelov Farooq, with 20.47 percent of the votes. Jose Medina was elected by a 58.02 percent vote to represent California's State Assembly 61st District, beating opponent Rudy Aranda, who took 41.98 percent of the votes. United States 41st District Representative Mark Takano won re-election to the seat with a 56.02 percent vote over opponent Steve Adams's 43.98 percent vote. Voters also approved Moreno Valley Unified School District's Measure M. with a 63.36 Yes vote to a 36.64 percent No vote, voters approved the MVUSD to issue $398 million in bonds to "upgrade classrooms, science labs, career-training facilities and computer systems to keep pace with technology, fix aging classrooms/schools, improve student safety and security, repair, construct, acquire classrooms, facilities, sites/equipment, prepare students for success in college/high-demand jobs, protect instruction in math, science, technology and the trades,” according to Measure M ballot language. Moreno Valley's Measure I was successful with a 79.21 Yes vote and a 20.79 percent No vote. Measure I will impose term limits on councilmembers and prohibits councilmembers from serving more than three successive four-year terms, until a period of two years has elapsed between the three successive four year terms. Appointments to fill vacancies on the council will count as serving a full four year term if the appointed councilmember serves two or more years on the council. The City's Measure R passed with a 74.19 percent Yes vote to a 25.81 percent No vote, establishing a directly-elected mayor for the first time in city history. Prior to this Measure's passage, the five-member council appointed one of its members to serve as mayor for the next year. Lastly, voters voted for mayoral terms to be two years, with Measure s passing with a 62.06 percent Yes vote to a 37.94 percent No Vote. This strikes down Moreno Valley's Measure T, which failed with a 62.60 percent No vote to a 37.40 percent Yes vote. Measure T, if passed, would have established a four year term for mayor. As of Nov. 10, approximately 1,500 vote-by-mail, 19,000 provisional and 3,500 damaged ballots requiring duplication still must be processed. Final Certified Election results will be posted no later than Dec. 2.