LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Gee, Miller Win Council; Weiner, Hoxie Take OUSD


Inga Miller, Darlene Gee, Hillary Weiner and Cara Hoxie

Candidates Inga Miller and incumbent Darlene Gee topped the ballot boxes, winning seats on the Orinda City Council.

Gee will hold on to the seat to which she was appointed in 2015 to serve out the remainder of Steve Glazer's term after he was elected to the California State Senate. Miller will take the seat vacated by Mayor Victoria Smith, who ran unsuccessfully for a spot on the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District board.

"I am so happy for this endorsement," Gee said on election night. "This is a great feeling because as much as I loved being appointed, being elected makes me feel even more committed...to finish my work with the roads and downtown."

Miller was just as thrilled. "It makes me feel good that I ran a positive campaign which has produced positive results," she said.

Gee and Miller had run a joint campaign, and both are advocates of progress on the updating of Orinda's downtown. Both candidates were supported by What's Up Downtown Orinda, which advocates for improvements to downtown.

Miller was the top vote-getter at 4,602 votes (33.94 percent) followed by Gee with 4,111 votes (30.32 percent). Bruce London garnered 2,835 votes (20.91 percent) and Linda Delehunt came in with 1,971 votes (14.54 percent). These numbers are from the first update by Contra Costa County Elections and are not the final count.

OUSD

Candidates Hillary Weiner and Cara Rubenstein Hoxie won the two seats on the Orinda Unified School District, defeating incumbent Sarah Butler, who had been elected in 2012, and replacing Matt Moran, who retired after eight years on the OUSD Board.

Weiner led with 4,602 votes (38.94 percent) and Hoxie was elected with 3,952 votes (32.17 percent). Incumbent Butler had 3,560 votes (28.98 percent) as of the first vote update.

Superintendent Carolyn Seaton extended an invitation to the public to attend the school board meeting on Dec. 12 when the newly elected members of the board will be sworn in and outgoing members Moran and Butler will be thanked for their service over the past years.