Residents go back in time with council choice
Once again local voters rejected a recommendation from a lengthy list of past and present officials representing Yorba Linda, as they reached back into city history to tap a member of the 1970s low-density city councils to return to the governing dais.
This Tuesday 28-year council veteran Hank Wedaa will take his eighth oath of office and settle several lingering disputes, including a proposal to open closed-door ad hoc council committee meetings to public scrutiny.
Wedaa’s win is another blow to the political establishment, most of which lined up behind former one-term council member Keri Wilson’s comeback bid after her November 2006 defeat.
Wilson listed 27 current and former officials representing the city as federal, state and local leaders as supporters, including Mayor Allen Castellano, Councilman Jim Winder, six past mayors, four water district directors and school trustee Karin Freeman.
By contrast, only popular Councilman John Anderson, two past mayors and a one-term water district director endorsed Wedaa. Winder, who supported Wilson, signed Wedaa’s nominating petition and gave him a $200 donation.
Wedaa carried 16 of 27 precincts with a total 3,749 votes to Wilson’s 2,944 and Victoria Gulickson’s 1,616. (Two tiny precincts recorded no votes and one recorded four votes, while 53 voters apparently cast write-in votes or left ballots blank.)
Wilson won the eastside’s 92887 Zip code count with 945 votes to Wedaa’s 785 and Gulickson’s 382, but Wedaa captured the westside’s 92886 Zip code with 2,964 votes to Wilson’s 1,999 and Gulickson’s 1,234.
Absentee ballots split 2,697 for Wedaa, 2,117 for Wilson and 1,106 for Gulickson, while Election Day votes broke 1,052 for Wedaa, 827 for Wilson and 510 for Gulickson.
Although the 20.4 percent turnout of 8,362 from 40,957 registered voters is the smallest in city history, the result is significant, when taken in context with recent political events.
Wedaa’s win—along with the Anderson and Jan Horton council victories, the Measure B success and the high signature count on Old Town zoning and Right-to-Vote petitions—represents a major change in local politics from the past two decades.
The grassroots Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation has proven that campaigns can be won with small contributions and lots of legwork by committed volunteers, instead of outside-the-city financing and professional consultants.
A FINAL NOTE
Full reports won’t be available until July 31, but filings show the three candidates raised $67,610 through mid-May to win 8,309 votes, about $8.13 per ballot cast.
Wilson raised $35,214, including $14,200 in personal loans; Wedaa $27,396, with $10,000 in personal loans; and Gulickson a self-financed $5,000.
The largest contribution was $5,000 to Wilson from Capo Industries, a Chino-based aerospace parts manufacturer.
This Tuesday 28-year council veteran Hank Wedaa will take his eighth oath of office and settle several lingering disputes, including a proposal to open closed-door ad hoc council committee meetings to public scrutiny.
Wedaa’s win is another blow to the political establishment, most of which lined up behind former one-term council member Keri Wilson’s comeback bid after her November 2006 defeat.
Wilson listed 27 current and former officials representing the city as federal, state and local leaders as supporters, including Mayor Allen Castellano, Councilman Jim Winder, six past mayors, four water district directors and school trustee Karin Freeman.
By contrast, only popular Councilman John Anderson, two past mayors and a one-term water district director endorsed Wedaa. Winder, who supported Wilson, signed Wedaa’s nominating petition and gave him a $200 donation.
Wedaa carried 16 of 27 precincts with a total 3,749 votes to Wilson’s 2,944 and Victoria Gulickson’s 1,616. (Two tiny precincts recorded no votes and one recorded four votes, while 53 voters apparently cast write-in votes or left ballots blank.)
Wilson won the eastside’s 92887 Zip code count with 945 votes to Wedaa’s 785 and Gulickson’s 382, but Wedaa captured the westside’s 92886 Zip code with 2,964 votes to Wilson’s 1,999 and Gulickson’s 1,234.
Absentee ballots split 2,697 for Wedaa, 2,117 for Wilson and 1,106 for Gulickson, while Election Day votes broke 1,052 for Wedaa, 827 for Wilson and 510 for Gulickson.
Although the 20.4 percent turnout of 8,362 from 40,957 registered voters is the smallest in city history, the result is significant, when taken in context with recent political events.
Wedaa’s win—along with the Anderson and Jan Horton council victories, the Measure B success and the high signature count on Old Town zoning and Right-to-Vote petitions—represents a major change in local politics from the past two decades.
The grassroots Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation has proven that campaigns can be won with small contributions and lots of legwork by committed volunteers, instead of outside-the-city financing and professional consultants.
A FINAL NOTE
Full reports won’t be available until July 31, but filings show the three candidates raised $67,610 through mid-May to win 8,309 votes, about $8.13 per ballot cast.
Wilson raised $35,214, including $14,200 in personal loans; Wedaa $27,396, with $10,000 in personal loans; and Gulickson a self-financed $5,000.
The largest contribution was $5,000 to Wilson from Capo Industries, a Chino-based aerospace parts manufacturer.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
<< Home