Windsor goes to polls amid mayor scandal
As a movement to oust Mayor Dominic Foppoli over sexual assault allegations gets under way, Windsor residents cast their final ballots Tuesday for a new Town Council member in a special election that, in recent weeks, had become a public rebuke of the mayor.
Early returns showed Rosa Reynoza, an administrative assistant with Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland and a fourtime council candidate, far outpaced four other candidates with 47% of the 5,738 ballots counted.
Five candidates vied for the seat in an election called months before the allegations against Foppoli first came to light in an April 8 Chronicle investigation. Four of the candidates, in
“When the final numbers come out, we’ll be able to bring people back to focus on what’s important for our town.” Rosa Reynoza, Windsor Town Council candidate
cluding Reynoza, have demanded the resignation of Foppoli, once praised as bringing visibility and business opportunities to the central Sonoma County town of about 27,000 people.
Now, seven women have publicly accused Foppoli of sexual misconduct and all three of his current Town Council colleagues have asked him to leave office. Foppoli has repeatedly denied sexually assaulting any women, and has refused to heed calls for his resignation, leaving Windsor’s leadership in a fractured state.
“When the final numbers come out, we’ll be able to bring people back to focus on what’s important for our town,” Reynoza said. “That’s what my message has been: our familyfriendly atmosphere really is the heart of our town.”
The election could give the existing Town Council members another ally in their pursuit to take control of town business as voters fill the seat vacated by Foppoli when he was elected mayor in November.
Julia Donoho, 59, an architect who trailed Reynoza with 16% of the vote, said she sought a council seat to help ensure residents benefit from familyfriendly development of the Town Green.
“If one’s vision for the town is to lead with ego, that was Dominic’s approach,” Donoho said. “If one’s view is to listen to the people and mold vision that people can support, that would be my view.”
Reynoza led with 2,709 votes, followed by Oscar Chavez and Jeff Leasure tied with 1,000, Donoho with 919, and Cody Wilson with 110.
Chavez, 47, is assistant director of Sonoma County Human Services; Leasure, 65, is a tax accountant; and political newcomer Wilson, 40, is a biomedical equipment technician for Sutter Health.
All the candidates but Wilson have asked Foppoli to resign.
The ballots counted Tuesday night represented roughly onethird of the 17,000 ballots sent out for the allmail election. Election workers will count ballots received in the mail through Friday. Whoever receives the most votes will take the seat.
Several candidates said they feared the controversy has drawn attention away from the special election. They expressed hope that a lastday wave of local voters would cast their ballots.
The winner will join Debora Fudge, Sam Salmon and Esther Lemus on the Town Council. Lemus has publicly accused Foppoli of sexually assaulting her in 2020, an allegation he denies. The Sonoma County Sheriff ’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation.
Salmon and Fudge have been scrutinized for their handling of a 2017 email complaint alleging sexual misconduct by Foppoli, then the vice mayor. Fudge, the initial recipient of the email, has defended the town’s choice not to investigate the complaint.
Reynoza, 49, ran for mayor last year, losing to Foppoli with 4,691 votes to his 6,307. This was her fourth run for Town Council. Reynoza said the accusations against the mayor and the town’s handling of the email complaint have increased her concern that the community needs new leadership.
She recalled feeling “disregarded” when speaking up at past council meetings and said she wanted to ensure no other residents feel that way going forward.
“The council already had their own vision for what was going to happen with the town. You leave there thinking, why should I participate?” Reynoza said. “That’s not how our council should run. I want people to feel they are being heard.”
Last week, Windsor residents filed paperwork to begin the process of recalling Foppoli from office. Because he was elected by voters, and has declined to voluntarily resign, it would take a felony conviction or recall election to force out the mayor.