Fladager with big lead in Stanislaus County district attorney race, challenger concedes
Birgit Fladager had more than a 20 percent lead in the race for Stanislaus County district attorney as she seeks a fourth term against challenger Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne, who wanted to unseat his boss.
Fladager had 60 percent of the vote, according to initial results Tuesday night showing about 68 percent of the precincts reporting.
Mayne, who is seeking public office for the first time, had 39 percent of the vote. He called Fladager Tuesday night to concede the race. He said it would be unreasonable to believe he could make up the difference as more votes were counted.
“I congratulated her on winning her fourth term,” Mayne said. “I think she had the advantage because she was the incumbent.”
Mayne said Tuesday night that he doesn’t have any plans to leave his job and will continue to work for the District Attorney’s Office.
Fladager did not return calls for comment Tuesday night. She had told voters that she has 12 years of experience leading the office through lean budget years. She has said Mayne is a smart prosecutor and a good trial attorney, but he didn’t have the managerial experience or the insight on how to lead an office of nearly 150 employees, including about 50 prosecutors.
Mayne told voters that Fladager is responsible for what he calls a “massive” rate of attorneys leaving the office, forcing prosecutors with little experience to handle complicated cases. He has pledged to bring needed stability and competent leadership prosecutors deserve.
Mayne thanked those employees in the District Attorney’s office, including attorneys who asked him to run, for supporting him in his campaign.
“I appreciate their courage and their effort,” said Mayne, who has worked as a prosecutor in Stanislaus County for nearly 18 years.
Fladager fought off three challengers in the June primary election, receiving 48 percent of the vote. Since she failed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote, she faced Mayne in a runoff in Tuesday’s November 2018 midterm election.
This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 9:34 PM.