Preliminary Ceres special election results show this candidate likely won
Preliminary results for the Ceres special election show business owner Jim Casey will likely represent District 1 on the City Council and fill the months-long vacancy.
The runner-up conceded the race Wednesday, while Casey said he believes he can help council members reach consensus on issues they have deadlocked over in 2-2 votes.
Casey received about 42% of the 1,189 votes cast, per the initial results released Tuesday night shortly after the deadline to submit mail ballots. City government manager Laurie Smith got about 30% of the votes, followed by child care provider Connie Vasquez with about 28%. Casey held a 136-vote lead over Smith, who ran a campaign emphasizing her experience working for the city of Modesto and 14 years serving on the Ceres planning commission.
“I’m very humbled by the fact that District 1 residents had the confidence in my ability to represent them on the Ceres City Council,” Casey said in an email Wednesday.
A Ceres business owner for 26 years and resident since 1974, Casey has not worked in city government before. But running his interstate moving business gives him an understanding of teamwork and management styles, he said.
Casey added he can help bring the council together and is interested in a team-building workshop. Since January, the council has split 2-2 on issues including the budget, an amended development agreement for a cannabis dispensary and appointing an applicant to fill the vacancy. The seat representing northern Ceres has been vacant since Channce Condit joined the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in January, halfway through his elected term.
The Registrar of Voters expects to release updated results on Friday, County Clerk Donna Linder said in an email. The county must wait until next Wednesday to certify the results. The special election winner can swear in later this month.
With Casey’s lead in the early results, Smith on Wednesday conceded and thanked her supporters.
“Congratulations to Jim Casey,” Smith said in a Facebook post. “I wish you the best and look forward to working with you to move Ceres forward.”
To devote time as a council member, Casey said he plans to semi-retire and establish office hours to talk with residents. The council term ends in December 2022.
The county previously estimated the special election will cost Ceres between $33,000 and $45,000, depending on how many of about 6,000 registered District 1 voters cast ballots. The votes counted in the preliminary results represent an about 20% turn-out rate.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 1:51 PM.
