The campaigns are over, but for the re-elected Congress members such as Jeff Denham, there is not much time to revel in victory. The Turlock Republican and his family flew back to Washington, D.C., early Wednesday.

School bonds got mixed reviews from area voters, with only two out of six in the region passing easily. Two more clung to thin leads Wednesday evening and two managed a majority, but sat short of the 55 percent such bonds need to win in California.

San Francisco voters soundly rejected a measure that might have led to removal of the 89-year-old Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from Yosemite National Park.

Challenger Anthony Silva won the race for Stockton mayor over incumbent Ann Johnston late Tuesday, signaling that residents could be hungry for change in a city beset by bankruptcy and a record number of murders.

Democrat Jose Hernandez conceded to Rep. Jeff Denham today in the 10th Congressional District race.

Stanislaus County residents tell The Modesto Bee's Patty Guerra what they think of Tuesday's election.

Republican Bill Berryhill appears to have won a tight race over fellow Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani in the 5th Senate District, according to the vote count reported Wednesday morning. Berryhill had 104,305 votes districtwide, or 51 percent, while his Democratic opponent had 100,317 votes, or 49 percent.

Elections officials worked into the wee hours updating voting figures from Tuesday's election. The Stanislaus County Office of Elections posted final prelminary numbers at 1:50 a.m. Results, available at www.stanvote.com, show 100 percent of precincts reporting, though vote-by-mail and provisional ballots remain to be tallied in the days to come.

Republican Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen won re-election in a lopsided race against Democratic challenger Christopher Mateo. With 100 percent of the precincts counted, Olsen won 61.5 percent of the vote to Mateo's 38.5 percent.

Voters voted for both stability and change as incumbent Amy Bublak and newcomer Steven Nascimento won the two available positions in the City Council race Tuesday night. Incumbent Mary Jackson, who was elected to the council in 2008, and challenger Sergio Alvarado were defeated.

The race between first-time candidate Aaron Norseen and incumbent José Aldaco for City Council remained in the balance late Tuesday night.

Rep. Jeff Denham cruised to an easy victory Tuesday in the 10th Congressional District. The Turlock Republican called it "an exciting night" as returns showed him nearly nine percentage points ahead of Democratic challenger Jose Hernandez. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Denham had 54.7 percent of the vote to Hernandez's 45.3.

Richard O'Brien has been there before, leading Virginia Madueño after the initial returns in a mayoral race. So pardon him, despite holding a 144-vote lead with all of the city's 12 precincts reporting, if he isn't yet ready to celebrate.

Early returns showed a tough sell for school bonds in the region, with Escalon Unified in San Joaquin County the only proposal with a comfortable lead.

Former Mayor Farrell Jackson will return to the City Council after comfortably capturing a two-year seat in a race against two challengers Tuesday night. Incumbent Tom Dunlop and newcomer Don Petersen were front-runners for two four-year seats.

Finally, after months of campaigning and a seemingly endless stream of TV attack ads and negative mailers, it's time for voters' voices to be heard. Election precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.

Bee Editor Joe Kieta, Judy Sly, editor of our opinions pages, former Modesto City Councilmember Janice Keating and political analyst Mike Lynch, will host a live online chat as election 2012 results roll in. Have a question? An opinion? Join our live chat beginning at 8 p.m.

Voters throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley will find a packed ballot when they go to the polls Tuesday. They'll have to make serious choices in races from president to mayors and council members of regional cities along with statewide measures.

A Latino get-out-the-vote effort came to Modesto, seeing the valley city as central to those it was trying to reach by Tuesday.

Campaign TV ads and mailers have been vicious and nonstop this election season, as national political power brokers pour money and resources into all-out efforts to win.

Nearly $12 million is being spent to sway voters in the 10th Congressional District, but little of it came from local donors and even less of it is being spent here. The high-stakes race between Republican Rep. Jeff Denham and Democrat Jose Hernandez is being bankrolled almost entirely by out-of-region political groups and contributors.

Young fans say Barack Obama friendly and he's been president — for as long as many can remember — without messing up too much. Mitt Romney's supporters say he's nice, sticking by their man under keen peer pressure.

The battle over political attack ads continued Wednesday as Sacramento TV stations flip-flopped about whether to run a controversial spot bashing Rep. Jeff Denham.

Nearly $6 million has been spent on the campaigns in the 5th Senate District, a good chunk of it by committees independent of candidates Cathleen Galgiani and Bill Berryhill.

Riverbank Mayor Virginia Madueño continues to raise the most money among the nearly three dozen candidates running for office in the six Stanislaus County cities holding elections Nov. 6.