Torres-Walker, Motts in a dead heat
Challenge and provisional votes trickle in to erase the gap between the top contenders
The race for Antioch City Council District 1 is now in a dead heat, with incumbent Tamisha Torres-Walker and former Councilwoman Joy Motts both at 34.3% after the newest results were released Wednesday afternoon.
“It's just agonizing, honestly,”
Motts said late Wednesday afternoon. “I mean, I just don't even know what to think. I've been praying that things would resolve itself one way or another.”
Torres-Walker could not be reached for comment.
On Wednesday, more than two weeks after the Nov. 8 election, Motts' total grew by 13 votes while Torres-Walker — who was in last place on election night, but had been trending up — added another eight votes in the race for the seat. Each had 1,462 total votes in a tight three-way contest. Diane Gibson-Gray was in third place with 31.39%.
The contest was reminiscent of the three-way race in 2020 when Motts was ahead by 12 votes a week after the election, but her lead later evaporated and TorresWalker emerged on top by 206 votes in the final tally.
Though not surprised at how tight the three-way race was, Motts said it's still a waiting game with the election not certified until possibly Friday or Dec. 5.
Only 19 “challenge” ballots and possibly one or two provisional ones remain in District 1, which could decide that race, according to Helen Nolan, Contra Costa County assistant registrar. The challenge votes are ones in which there is no signature or it doesn't match the one on file, she said.
Voters whose ballots don't have signatures or have mismatched signatures have received letters from the Elections Division and have been given the opportunity to sign their ballots or prove their