The parties were colorful, the races were tight, and the candidates were, for the most part, composed.
June 8, 2010, marked the potential for change in Northern Santa Barbara County, considering several key positions were up for grabs, including D.A., Assembly member, and a couple of county supervisor seats.
While the results trickled in over the course of Election Night, Sun and New Times staffers attended candidates’ parties across the Central Coast. Here’s a snapshot of the evening, told through events that yielded new officials and some hopefuls whose dreams weren’t realized.
Steve Lavagnino and Alice Patino, 5th District supervisor
It was a family affair for Steve Lavagnino over at 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray’s home in Orcutt. Gray wasn’t able to attend because she was out covering the elections for local radio, but her absence didn’t dampen the festive mood.
“We’re Italians, after all. We know how to put on a good spread,” said Steve’s dad, Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino, as he poured drinks with Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez.
“We’re not just supporters, we’re wine pourers!” Alvarez said as he filled a glass of red for a supporter. Nice technique, too. Not a drop spilled.
“If we’re ever not reelected, we’ll have a job bartending,” the Guadalupe mayor said with a chuckle before moving on to the man they were there to support.
“I’m excited. I think Steve’s experience dealing with Sacramento will come into play, resulting in more appropriations coming our way,” he said. “Things like Measure A projects can be completed faster if we get more state monies.”
Lavagnino supporter Bruno Bornino thought Steve would be a “real asset” if elected, thanks also in part to his connections in Sacramento.
“If you don’t have the contacts to get things done, what’s the point?” he asked. “Steve is knowledgeable, forceful, and he knows how to get things done.”
And what did the elder Lavagnino think of his son’s chances?
“I’m biased, obviously. I picked Steve right from the start,” he said, adding that politics is something of a family business. “Both Steve’s great-grandfathers were county supervisors. His dad’s a mayor. I’m saying we’ve been in politics for a while.”
But what about the man himself? Even before results started coming in, how would he look back on this past year?
“I’m really at peace with the campaign we ran,” he said. “No regrets. If I don’t win, I’m not going to wake up tomorrow saying, ‘I wish I’d done this differently or ran that ad.’ I didn’t compromise.”
That’s not to say Steve wasn’t thinking ahead.
“If I win? I’ll take advantage of those first six months before I take office to get my feet wet. But come January 1st, I want to look at reforming the county retirement system as well as seeing about implementing some type of E-verify for those drawing county benefits. After all, how can you have a real budget if you don’t know where the money’s going?”
Meanwhile, community was the common theme among Alice Patino’s supporters gathered at the ladies bar in the Santa Maria Elks lodge.
Some at Alice’s party weren’t shy at being upset over Joni Gray’s choice to support Steve Lavagnino. Berto Van Veen, a contractor and Patino supporter, was less than enthusiastic about Gray’s choice.
“I’m disappointed Steve’s party is at Joni’s house,” he said. “Alice has been very loyal to Joni, done a wonderful job representing her. Sure Steve is a great guy, but I was really surprised that Joni supported him.”
Disgruntlement aside, Van Veen said he really hoped Patino ended up winning: “I think Alice represents our district so well.”
Mark Teixeira, of Teixeira Farms, said Patino would be one of the key economic forces in the 5th District.
“As a farmer, I really feel she has a true understanding of agriculture,” Teixeira said.
At a decidedly Republican gathering, Rebecca Carey was the token Democrat of the evening, literally.
“Thought I could help Alice out with our vote since we didn’t have a horse in this race,” Carey said.
She added that Alice’s experience would make her a good choice for members of both parties in the district: “She’s been in every part of our community, knows all the players.”
As the evening wore on, more and more people gathered around the laptop at the end of the bar, featuring the County Clerk’s website.
“Still not updated,” said Teresa Menchaca, executive director of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley and self-appointed techno queen of the night. (Well, she was the one who kept pushing “refresh.”) Menchaca agreed that Alice’s wide-ranging experience made her ideal for the district.
“Alice gets the whole scope of what’s going on, the cultures, the different sections of what makes up our valley,” Menchaca said. “She really cares about all aspects, from youth to seniors. She is Santa Maria.”
Then Menchaca hit “F5” again.
—Nicholas Walter
Matt Kokkonen, 33rd Assembly District
There is something noble about Matt Kokkonen, at least to this extent: The man perseveres. No matter the odds, no matter the race, even for the Assembly, his tactics never change. He waves the flag, salutes the military, rails about big government, denies pollution is cooking the planet, inveighs against career politicians, and condemns foreigners who risk arrest to live here.
He strums the same chords, out of tune, out of synch with most voters, and though he can’t seem to find the right pitch, returns for yet another performance. What a trooper.
Still, he was running second to Katcho Achadjian in SLO County by 11 p.m. among the four Republicans in the primary, as Etta Waterfield was walloping him (and Katcho) in Santa Barbara County. But she wasn’t going to outgun him at his campaign headquarters, no way; in fact, several of the faithful there, in a downtown SLO Craftsman tastefully converted to office space, were too busy chatting about certain sniper rifles to notice.
“My son found one of those with a scope, and I had to have one, too,” a middle-age man bubbled to several others who fired back tales of their own arsenals.
There was more than plenty of wine and what appeared to be dozens of beers on ice but no evidence anyone had been thirsty all night. There were nice crackers, Brie, guacamole, salsa, chips, an untouched plate of turkey aram sandwiches, and cookies—but not a crumb, spent napkin, or overturned plate in sight on the polished hardwood floors or oak swivel chairs, not a speck. Are his core supporters especially neat or polite, on diets (they did look lean), or do they revere (as they should) Craftsman interiors? Maybe they simply worried there’d be no one to clean up: It’s really hard to hire citizens willing to do that work.
—Ed Connolly
Katcho Achadjian, 33rd Assembly District
Dusk descended on San Luis Obispo, and spirits—of the alcoholic variety and otherwise—rose as the man of the hour entered the meeting room of the Sands Inn and Suites.
Shortly before polling closed for the Republican primary, 33rd District Assembly candidate Katcho Achadjian, looking a bit haggard but also delighted, warmly greeted about 50 of his closest campaign volunteers and friends.
“I’m feeling as good as I can be,” he said. “I’m surrounded by family members and supporters. This is what we look forward to.”
Characteristically, Achadjian’s mind was already halfway on to the next morning’s business, a Coastal Commission meeting in Marina del Rey. However, Achadjian vowed to stay with his supporters until midnight.
“No rest for the weary,” Achadjian said with a smile.
While awaiting early absentee ballot counts, supporters poured wine and devoured Armenian foods, all while taking in Game 3 of the Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals.
Volunteer Kevin Drabinski, who helped with the campaign’s communication duties, was cautiously optimistic at the outset.
“The journey to get to this day, which is full of promise, has been a great long ride and very memorable,” he said. “It’s a funny feeling. You can’t let yourself hope that you’ll win, and all you can do is look back and say, ‘Did we do the best job we can do?’ And you have the satisfaction that we did the best we could and things will turn out.”
Achadjian’s assorted campaign helpers, some not even old enough to vote themselves, were hopeful the night would swing in their favor.
At 9 p.m., the first results trickled in. Achadjian scribbled the district-wide numbers on a whiteboard in marker. He’d managed 37 percent of the votes to Etta Waterfield’s 33 percent; leading in SLO County by more than 2,000 votes, but lagging third in Santa Barbara County.
As early returns pointed to the possibility of a three-way race, volunteers hunkered down for the long haul.
“It could be a long night,” said Ross Buckley, a Cal Poly senior and campaign volunteer. “I hope I don’t have a heart attack by midnight.”
Expecting a close race coming into the evening, Achadjian took a time-out to thank his supporters. While encouraged, he also didn’t put too much weight into the results.
“The numbers can change dramatically,” Achadjian said. “I’ve been here three times before, so you’ve got to wait until the last votes are counted. When the clerk’s office says this is it, then you celebrate.”
Achadjian’s campaign was a true family affair. His wife Araxie, who helped her husband in multiple campaigns for supervisor, called the night a “temporary relief.”
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “We kept it positive, so regardless of the outcome, we’ll be very proud of the way we’ve run our campaign.”
At 9:30 p.m., the candidate’s son and campaign manager Hratch, just 22 years old, arrived from Los Angeles.
“It’s a change of pace from the L.A. rush, but it’s a rush all in itself,” Hratch said of the night. “This is the fun part. This is the easy part. We’ve been through this three times with his supervisor races, so we just sit back and wait now.”
As the night progressed, though results from Santa Barbara County were slow to post, Achadjian’s lead in SLO County over challengers Waterfield and Matt Kokkonen continued to rise. So too, did the hopes of his supporters.
By the time the local 10 o’clock news began, some volunteers were patting each other on the back in a congratulatory fashion. Achadjian, sans jacket and tie, appeared confident his lead would hold.
“Overall, what you see as we speak is what can be expected throughout the night,” he said. “I think it will stick. The percentages might change, but the rankings won’t change.”
“We ran a good campaign. We kept it clean. We didn’t let anybody down,” he added. “We made a lot of new friends and kept old friends, and life goes on.”
—Jeremy Thomas
Etta Waterfield, 33rd Assembly District
Dozens of red, white, and blue balloons hung in the air at 33rd District Assembly candidate Etta Waterfield’s election night party in Santa Maria, their multi-colored ribbons creating a kelp forest-like maze for supporters to navigate throughout the night.
Waterfield’s campaign headquarters—an office building on Santa Maria Way—was packed with people of all ages waiting to see if their candidate would take the Republican nomination for the seat.
As of press time, Waterfield trailed opponent Katcho Achadjian by about six percentage points.
While watching the election results come in, Waterfield told the Sun she felt unusually calm about the situation.
“I can’t watch a game if my team is a few points away from winning,” she explained. “I have to walk away.”
Waterfield credited her serene demeanor in large part to the support of her family, friends, and fellow community members, some of whom she was meeting for the first time.
“It’s very humbling to meet perfect strangers who buy into you heart, soul, and everything,” she said. “That’s been the best part of the campaign; I have so many friends now.”
Waterfield’s daughter, Mercy Clark, who traveled from Arizona with her husband and daughters for the occasion, said her mother is equally devoted to her supporters and potential constituents.
“She’s a people person, and she’s a person of integrity,” Clark said. “She’s not a politician, she’s a real person, and she definitely cares about her people.”
Fifth District Supervisor Joe Centeno also listed Waterfield’s integrity as a reason for his decision to back her politically.
“She’s a fantastic lady. She has a lot of integrity, and she’s passionate about working with the people in our valley here,” he said. “She has a great perspective on the [government] regulations imposed on our working people, the farmers and business owners who built our economy.”
Centeno also said he’s confident Waterfield, who until recently worked for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and its economic development committee, would bring businesses and jobs to the district if elected.
Economic growth has been a cornerstone of Waterfield’s campaign. She strongly opposes higher taxes and has often labeled herself as a “conservative tax fighter” throughout the campaign season.
While this has been her first campaign for office, Waterfield said she views her outsider status as an asset.
“[Assemblyman] Sam [Blakeslee] was never elected before he took office, and he’s done so much for the district,” she said. “I tell people, ‘My predecessor is my example. He went through the same process.’”
—Amy Asman
Send comments to Executive Editor Ryan Miller at rmiller@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 10-17, 2010.