Nearly six days after Election Day, longtime Morgan Hill City Councilmember Larry Carr made a statement accepting the results that show a widening gap separating him from challenger Gino Borgioli, who holds a lead in the race for City Council District A.
In a Nov. 9 statement on his Facebook page titled “Larry Carr Councilmember,” Carr posted that he called Borgioli earlier in the day congratulating him on the projected election victory.
“I believe every vote matters, and while all of the votes have yet to be counted it is becoming clear the direction they are headed,” Carr’s statement said. “We ran a great campaign. We stayed honest and true. We focused on a positive future based on a record of great success. As an incumbent, I have a record that I focused on—a record that I’m proud of.”
Election officials with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters are still counting ballots in the Nov. 3 election. However, results last updated 5pm Nov. 9 show Borgioli leading in the three-candidate race for District A with about 42 percent of the vote, or 2,012 ballots. Carr has received about 34 percent of the vote, or 1,643 ballots. Julie Raia has received about 23 percent of the votes counted so far.
A registrar’s spokesman said on the phone Nov. 10 that election officials do not know how many more ballots are left to count. Mail-in ballots are still accepted at the registrar’s office up to 17 days after the election, if they are postmarked by Nov. 3.
A detailed breakdown of the vote count so far shows that Carr is ahead—by 31 votes—in one of four polling precincts located within District A, which consists of southwest Morgan Hill and a portion of downtown. Borgioli is in third place in the precinct where Carr leads, but he is leading in the other three precincts.
Carr was vying for his sixth four-year term on the Morgan Hill City Council. Before joining the council, he served one term on the Morgan Hill Unified School District board of education.
Borgioli is also a former MHUSD trustee, having served on that board from 2014 to 2018. That term was marked by deep division on the board, with a faction consisting of former trustees Borgioli, David Gerard and Rick Badillo routinely feuding with the board majority over issues surrounding district leadership and program initiatives.
Carr’s Nov. 9 Facebook post drew encouraging comments from other area officials. Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez replied, “It has been a pleasure working with you and hopefully sometime in the future we can once again work together.”
Former MHUSD Trustee Kathleen Sullivan wrote to Carr, “I have watched your dedication and hard work on behalf of Morgan Hill for over 20 years. You have served well and have left a strong legacy which will forever have a positive and lasting effect on the city.”
Carr concluded his statement by thanking his supporters, adding, “While we wish the votes had gone a different way, we are optimistic about our future and will always be rooting for Morgan Hill.”
No big changes in updated results
In other local election results, Mayor Rich Constantine, Councilmember Rene Spring and Ivan Rosales Montes continue to lead in their respective races.
Constantine—who was the only candidate who qualified to have his name on the Nov. 3 ballot—has received about 91 percent (or 15,556) of votes counted so far. Challenger Steve Chappell has received 1,555 write-in votes, or 1,555 ballots in his favor for the office of mayor.
In the City Council District C race, Spring holds a steady lead with about 69 percent of the ballots counted so far. Juan Miguel Munoz-Morris has received about 31 percent of the votes counted in that race as of 5pm Nov. 9, according to the registrar’s website.
Council District C consists of the northwest portion of Morgan Hill.
And in the election for Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustee Area 5, Montes leads Pamela Torrisi with about 61 percent of the vote.
In the election for Director of District 1 of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, incumbent Alex Kennett holds onto a lead with 55 percent of the votes counted. Challenger Robert Howell has received about 45 percent, or 33,415 votes in the Nov. 3 race.
