Council race decided by name pull

Cesar Zepeda has won Richmond's city council race after his name was pulled from a bag in city council chambers Tuesday morning, breaking a tie for the District 2 seat.

City Clerk Pamela Christian selected Zepeda's name after placing his and Andrew Butt's names in sealed envelopes and selecting one at random, while both candidates and assorted others looked on.

Prior to the name draw, Christian read a resolution, adopted unanimously last June, allowing the winner to be chosen by lot, and explained the rules before the drawing commenced.

According to Assistant Registrar of Contra Costa County Elections Hellen Nolan, the name pull came days after Contra Costa County certified the election.

"The county certified the Richmond District 2 results as a tie, and selecting the winner was then up to the city of Richmond, per resolution 7922, which was adopted earlier this year," Nolan said.

The means by which this race was decided created more than a little controversy.

On social media, voters grappled with the idea of choosing a city council member by way of a game of chance — something many felt was anything but democratic.

An online debate between County Supervisor John Gioia and community members in a local Facebook forum became heated after Gioia backed the results and quoted from the resolution.

"Resolution 7922 states that a race resulting in a tie will be broken by a lot," Gioia wrote, as commentators argued about a lack of fairness, and others insisted Gioia's information was incorrect.

Other posters seemed to find humor in Richmond's unique situation and even offered additional creative suggestions for breaking future ties in city elections.

"How about mud wrestling?" said Laurel Bellon. Other suggestions included "rock, paper, scissors," and a dance-off.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM - SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Grandview Independent needs your financial support to continue delivering the news that matters to our community. Quality journalism costs money, and we can't do it without readers like you.

SUBSCRIBE NOW and get:
• Unlimited access to all articles
• Newsletters with exclusive content
• The satisfaction of backing independent local news that serves your community

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent