Slow start for voting by district in Modesto

Smoothing out bumps will take time, many say

By Leslie Albrecht
lalbrecht@modbee.com

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District elections are supposed to change the face of city politics, but the first go-round did little to nudge Modesto in a new direction.

Voters rejected the only Latino candidate in a field of seven; turnout was abysmal.

Some caution against reading too much into the city's first try at neighborhood-based representation.

"Change is a process, not an event," said Modesto-Stanislaus NAACP President Wendy Byrd, a longtime supporter of district elections. "I guess there was an expectation that (there would be) a dramatic increase in voters. It takes baby steps, one step at a time. Just because we didn't get there this time doesn't mean it won't happen."

The jury's still out on what district elections will mean over time, but here's what Modesto learned from this week's results.

What was encouraging ...

YOUNG CANDIDATES — Of the seven people who ran for City Council this year, five were in their 20s or 30s. The median age on the current council is 54.

Many were glad to see fresh faces throwing their hats in the ring. "They ran and they weren't successful, but at least they put out some effort and they got people excited," said Michael Burtch, chairman of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee.

Young Republicans — Kristin Olsen, 35, and Joe Muratore, 31 — however, won their races.

Burtch said he'd encourage Democratic candidates such as District 2's Al Nava, 35, and District 5's Joe Cataline, 26, to stick with city politics and gain experience by serving on city commissions. "I don't want them to say 'I tried and I failed' and go home and lick their wounds," Burtch said.

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CHEAPER CAMPAIGNS — District elections haven't increased the council's diversity, but another theory about the new system has proved true: It costs less to get into office.

City Councilman Garrad Marsh said he spent the equivalent of $50,000 in today's dollars in his first council race in 2003. This year, some campaigns were run on a fraction of that. Dave Geer spent $10,732 on his race in District 2.

District 4 winner Muratore spent $20,916 to prevail in a three-way race in District 4. The district has about 2,900 "likely voters" — the voters candidates must reach if they want to succeed. Muratore personally called more than 1,000 of those voters the weekend before the election and blanketed the district with six mailers.

Such tactics would have been impossible in a citywide contest, Marsh said. He remembers having enough cash to send out only "one and a half" mailers in his 2003 race.

The knowledge that it's possible to win a seat with fewer resources could open the door to more candidates, political consultant Mike Lynch said. "Everyone in every district is going to look at this and say anyone can do this," Lynch said. "People are going to say, 'If I start early enough, I can meet everyone in my district.' "

MORE RESPONSIVE CANDIDATES AND COUNCIL — Former City Councilwoman Kenni Friedman believes the new system has created closer ties between elected officials and the people they represent.

Friedman said she was encouraged to see candidates holding campaign events in neighborhood parks. That familiarity will pay dividends for constituents, Friedman said.

"You know who your council member is, you've met them, they're not a strange face," Friedman said. "People will be much more open about talking to them about their concerns, whereas before it was, 'Oh my gosh, they're here for 200,000 people, I'm not going to bother them.' "