In the city’s first special election for mayor, at-large council member Joe McComb won 52.2 percent of the voters in a field of eight candidates. Photo illustration by Roland Chiapoco
At-large council member Joe McComb will be Mayor Joe McComb when the city council meets on Tuesday, May 16. He won a decisive victory with 52.2 percent of the vote (11,111 votes) in a field of eight candidates. The second closest was former mayor Nelda Martinez with 30.3 percent of the vote (6,444 votes).
About 12.5 percent of registered voters turned out in the city’s first-ever special election for mayor, resulting in 21,000 voters making the decision on who will lead the council for the next 18 months. The election filled a vacancy left by former mayor Dan McQueen, who resigned after 37 days in office. McQueen ousted Martinez in the General Election in November.
The council will still be one member short as McComb moves from his at-large seat to the mayor’s central place on the dais. Council members will need to appoint someone to fill his position until the next election in 2018.
Candidate Larry White came in third in the race with 7.13 percent of the vote (1,518 votes). He is a retired chemical engineer and part-time contract engineer at Chemours.
Other candidates in the race for mayor included Mark Di Carlo, attorney; Margareta Fratila, owner of European Floral Design; Jonathan Garison, assistant principal at Browne Middle School; James Hernandez, master electrician and owner of Landmark Electric Co.; and Reynaldo “Ray” Madrigal, retired photographer.
