GASTIL TAKES LEAD IN LEMON GROVE MAYORAL RACE

Council members elected, marijuana measure fails

By Miriam Raftery

Update November 10, 2016:  This evening George Gastil has retaken the lead by a slim 19-vote margin as counting of mail-in and provisional ballots continues.

November 9, 2016 (Lemon Grove) — The race to fill Lemon Grove’s mayoral seat vacated by retiring Mayor Mary Sessom is still too close to call.  Councilman George Gastil jumped into an early lead, but today Councilmember Racquel Vasquez has pulled into the lead by a mere 12 votes.  If elected, she would be the first African-American mayor in San Diego County.

In the City Council race, Democrat David Arambula and Republican Matt Mendoza appear to have won election with 21.97% and 21.30% of the vote respectively.  

The pair beat out Jerry Selby, who fell short of his effort to regain his seat on the council with 15.35%. Other candidates were Steve Brown (14.85%), Michael Summers (14.8%), Charlene McAdory (7.33%), and Glenn Thornton Jr.,4.4%.

All precincts have been counted, but late mail-in and absentee ballots remain to be tallied.

Measure V, which would have legalized and regulated medical marijuana dispensaries, failed to win passage with 51.69% (2611 votes) opposed and 48.31% (2440 votes) in favor.

That decision may be rendered moot, however, by California voters passage of a statewide initiative legalizing recreational marijuana.