Peninsula voters close to electing new state senator

Becker appears to take lead in race to replace retiring Hill in 13th District

Awash in candidates vying for open seats in five key cities on the Peninsula, voters have chosen to retain some incumbents and elect new city council members as first results poured in Tuesday night.

Of the 10 candidates vying for four open seats on the Palo Alto City Council, former mayor Pat Burt, incumbents Lydia Kou and Greg Tanaka and newcomer Greer Stone appeared to be in the lead Tuesday evening. Five familiar faces to the Palo Alto political scene were up against five newcomers, pitting slowgrowth candidates against pro-housing advocates. The new city council will lead Palo Alto through difficult economic prospects, discussions about recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and demands by state officials to build more housing.

In Mountain View, incumbents Margaret Abe-Koga and Lisa Matichak and former council members Sally Lieber and Pat Showalter appeared to be leading in the race to fill four open seats on the city council. Clearly divided on the city’s hot button issues, the nine candidates running in the race offered varied views on economic recovery strategies, the future of rent control and policing in the city as well as what to do about RVs clogging city streets.

East Palo Alto residents appear to have chosen Lisa Gauthier, Webster Lincoln and Carlos Romero to fill three open seats on the city council in a field of seven candidates. Hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, East Palo Alto must weather through its preeminent issues of affordable housing, gentrification, workforce development and crime as economic forecasts suggest difficult times yet to come.

In the first test of the new district elections system for Redwood City, voters appear to have chosen Jeff Gee in the race for District 1 on the Redwood City Council. In the race for District 7, incumbent Alicia Aguirre was in the lead Tuesday evening. Voters also appear to have chosen incumbent Janet Borgens in the race for District 3. District 4 was uncontested with Planning Commissioner Michael Smith expected to fill the seat.

Of the four candidates vying for two open seats on the Menlo Park City Council, voters appear to have chosen Jen Wolosin by a wide margin in the contested race to represent District 3 in a field with three candidates. Former Mayor Ray Mueller ran uncontested for District 5 and is expected to retain his seat.

In the race to replace retiring state Sen. Jerry Hill in California’s 13th State Senate District, Josh Becker appeared to take the lead Tuesday evening in a win for Democrats. Republican Alexander Glew led Becker and Lieber — both Democrats — back in March during the state’s primary, a contest that saw five Democrats join a seven-person race for a district that covers part of South San Francisco all the way to Sunnyvale.

NHAT V. MEYER — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Tim Paulsen, right, wife Audrianne, center left, and sons Dominic, 10, left, and Dillon, 7, sit in their truck during “Election Night at the Drive-In with Congresswoman Jackie Speier.”