Tri-Valley: Ex-Livermore mayor Marchand narrowly leading Nop

In early returns, incumbents leading in Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore city council elections.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Tri-Valley, as 16 city council hopefuls campaigned throughout the cities of Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. While it’s too early to declare any winners, with only 15% of the vote counted Tuesday night, some patterns were emerging.

Livermore 

The Livermore City Council race has been subject to hundreds of thousands of dollars in political action committee (PAC) funding, with a tight battle taking place between former mayor John Marchand and newcomer Mony Nop to replace Mayor Bob Woerner, who did not seek re-election.

With 15% of the vote counted in early returns Tuesday night, Marchand was narrowly edging ahead of Nop.

More than $711,600 had been spent on the mayoral race by Nov. 3, most of it to support Nop, a realtor and former police officer with no political experience.

Nop’s primary backer was an interest group focused on derailing an affordable housing project in the city.

A PAC called Take Back Livermore, which was funded by prominent members of the community who are against the housing project, spent more than $372,600 to oppose the election of Marchand, as well as council candidates Mel Chiong and Evan Branning.

Meanwhile, Lynna Lam, a wealthy nonprofit founder, contributed an additional $210,000 to another PAC to support Nop.

Marchand served as mayor from 2011 to 2020 before having to take a two-year break because of the city’s term-limit rules. The 69-year-old decided to run again after learning that Woerner was stepping down because of health issues.

In early returns, Branning was leading in District 1, despite the shadow campaign waged by the Take Back Livermore group.

The high school teacher was running against preschool educator Carol Wahrer, who has no political experience.

Branning previously served on the Livermore Human Services Commission and the Alameda Public Health Commission and currently serves on the city Planning Commission.

In District 2, former Berryessa Union School District trustee Ben Barrientos was up against business owner Mel Chiong, who serves on the city’s General Plan Advisory Committee.

Barrientos was leading in early returns.

Dublin

The mayoral race was a lot quieter in Dublin, where Melissa Hernandez will serve another two-year term after running uncontested.

In early returns in the race for two council seats, incumbent Vice Mayor Jean Josey was leading by a wide margin.

Kashef Qaadri had the second-most votes, while former Dublin Planning Commissioner Lynna Lan Tien Nguyen Do was trailing in early returns.

Qaadri serves on the Dublin Planning Commission and the Alameda County Public Health Commission.

Pleasanton

Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown also ran uncontested and will serve another term.

The race for the city’s other two open council seats was much busier, with three candidates running to represent the new District 3.

Joel Liu and Jamie Yee both ran competitive campaigns, but early results had incumbent Councilmember Julie Testa in the lead.

Testa runs a business with her husband and served on the city’s Human Services Commission before her election in 2018.

Liu serves as the chair of Pleasanton’s Committee on Energy and the Environment, while Yee serves on the city’s Civic Arts Commission.

Experience also seems to have won over voters in the District 1 race, with Planning Commissioner Jeff Nibert ahead in the polls.

The former engineer and project manager was running against state legislative staffer Dean Wallace, who has no local commission or committee experience.