Live update: Current leaders for two Oakdale City Council seats thank voters
Kayleigh Gilbert and incumbent Christopher Smith had early leads in the election for two Oakdale City Council seats and both thanked voters Wednesday morning for their support.
As of 11:30 p.m., Tuesday, Gilbert had received 1,654 votes to 1,517 for Smith and 1,363 for Benjamin Amaral. The Stanislaus County Election Office is still counting mail and other ballots received between now and the Nov. 15 deadline.
Gilbert is an insurance agent and fifth-generation member of the family that founded the A.L. Gilbert feed company in 1892. She ran unsuccessfully for a council vacancy in June.
“I want to thank my entire community for the endless support during these months of campaigning,” Gilbert said by email Wednesday morning. “I am excited to serve the community I love. If it wasn’t for Oakdale, I would have not made it this far. I look forward to better serving our small businesses, and informing our community.”
Smith is seeking re-election to a seat he won in 2018. He works for a commercial plumbing parts distributor.
Smith was cautious in his own email Wednesday morning: “I don’t want to jinx the outcome, but it looks like the trend is for Kayleigh Gilbert and myself to win the two positions, and I couldn’t be more happy that Oakdale chose the only two candidates with histories of community service and civic involvement to represent them on the council.”
Amaral is a student and security guard and the son of Councilman Bob Amaral, who won the special election. The Modesto Bee has not been able to reach him during the campaign.
Gilbert and Smith agreed on the need for more affordable housing in Oakdale during an Oct. 11 forum. They also supported efforts by police to connect homeless people with services, and urged decorum during protests at the podium and elsewhere.
One of the seats up for election Tuesday is held by Curtis Haney, who did not seek re-election. Mayor Cherilyn Bairos was unopposed for a new term.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:11 PM.
