Antioch: “The People Have Spoken” in Mayors Race

On Tuesday, initial results from the Antioch Mayor’s race show Ron Bernal with a commanding lead.

• 63.70% – Ron Bernal (13,653)
• 29.84%- Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe (6,396)
• 6.46%- Rakesh Kumar Christian (1,385)

City Council District 2  (vote for 1)

• 61.58% – Louie Rocha
• 38.42% – Dominique King

City Council District 3 (vote for 1)

• 52.69% – Donald Freitas
• 27.84% – Addison Peterson
• 19.47% -Antwon Webster

Updated Results: Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 9:18:32 PM

According to Contra Costa County:

• The first report of results will be released shortly after 8:00 PM on Election Night, Tuesday, November 5^th. The initial posted results will include counted Vote-by-Mail (VBM) ballots and in-person ballots from Regional Early Voting Sites.
• The second report, with results from the polls, will be issued at approximately 9:30 PM with subsequent updates at least once an hour until all precincts have reported their votes from in-person voting.
• The final Election Night report is expected to be issued by 1:30 AM. Typically, the Election Night report only represents approximately half of the total vote that our office ultimately will receive.
• The first interim report will be posted by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 8th, and will contain additional results from Vote-by-Mail ballots received on and postmarked by Election Day.
• Additional results will be posted each Friday afternoon up to certification on December 3, 2024.

During the campaign, Bernal said he wanted to focus on safety, homelessness and creating partnerships while brining new solutions to the city. He also wanted to restore economic development. He also wanted Antioch to become a good neighbor to surrounding cities.

Mayor Involved in Many Controversies:

In August 2021, Search Warrants Show Antioch Mayor Engaged in Possible Criminal Conduct. According to court documents released, the Antioch Police Department found evidence that implicates Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe and City Clerk Ellie Householder who potential engaged criminal conduct and Brown Act Violations.

In March 2022, Hernandez-Thorpe was arrested by CHP for a DUI. According to the 8-page arrest report, Thorpe was pulled over by CHP Officer Dagnino and was administered a field sobriety test along with a blood-alcohol test. At 2:13 am, Thorpe blew a blood-alcohol of .121 and again at 2:19 am a .124.  Thorpe also lied to the CHP officer telling him he was on his way home from dinner and said he had nothing to drink—while wearing a white Michelob Ultra wristband around his right wrist.

Also in 2022, A 44-page Investigate Report involving the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District and executive Director Lamar Thorpe was released. The incident prompted the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to vote on a $350k settlement with the two females as a result of two women who resigned from their positions at the healthcare district due to sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, hostile working conditions, and other unlawful actions resulting from Executive Director Lamar Thorpe’s misconduct, and the District’s inaction, despite having knowledge of that misconduct. The settlement did state there was no admission of guilt.

In July, the Contra Costa Grand Jury Finds Evidence Antioch City Council Committed Brown Act Violations.  Under the leadership of Mayor Lamar Thorpe, along with Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson and Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, the Grand Jury found Brown Act Violations have likely occurred, the council has overstepped its authority, and the city has a hiring and retention problem.

Other incidents:

• Blocking release of body camera footage from councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walkers home
• Blocking residents from his social media accounts/deleting comments
• Admitted in an April 2023 meeting, that he and Monica Wilson have swept items under the rug.
• Claiming he was assault in the Lone Tree Golf Course Parking Lot — it never happens
• Challenged a resident during a council meeting to “step outside”
• Calling those that attempted to recall him “Karens”

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Previous mayoral races within the City of Antioch:

2020

• 44.44% – Lamar A Thorpe (19,792)
• 33.89% – Sean Wright (15,094)
• 9.89% – Julio Jesse Mendez (4,403)
• 8.37% – Gabriel Makinano (3,729)
• 3.41% – Rakesh Kumar Christian (1,521)

2016

• 34.39% – Sean Wright (11,497)
• 34.19% – Wade Harper (11,433)
• 21.62% – Lori Ogorchock (7,232)
• 9.53% – Gil Murrilo (3,189)

2012

• 40.77% – Wade Harper (12,594)
• 32.79% – Gary Agopian (10,129)
• 20.49% – Don Freitas (6,329)
• 5.63% – Michael Leon (1,740)

2008

• 46.26% – Jim Davis (14,912)
• 44.79% – Don Freitas (14,437)

2004

• 58% – Don Freitas (18,013)
• 42% – Jim Davis (13,041)

2000

• 53.3% – Don Freitas (14,879)
• 35.6% – Jim Davis (10,142)
• 5.6% – Paul Goulart (1,596)

For more information, visit Contra Costa County Elections