By Jacqueline Uranga, staff writer
Election results:
Governor: Jerry Brown (D)
House of Representatives: Jerry McNerney (D)
State Assembly: Joan Buchanan (D)
U.S. Senate: Barbara Boxer (D)
Measure W: Failed
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Today, the Bay Area will be voting in some of the closest elections in the country. Here are some of the local and statewide races that will be decided today.
State Assembly
Candidate: Joan Buchanan
Party: Democrat
Track Record: Buchanan is a former San Ramon Valley school board member and has been a member of the state assembly since 2008. She was on the school board for 18 years.
Priorities and Solutions: “Her main priorities are to protect education, reform the budget process, and create job,” said Carlos Gutierrez, a representative for Buchanan’s campaign.
Quick Fact: “She’s a budget and finance expert with a passion for education,” said Gutierrez.
Candidate: Abram Wilson
Party: Republican
Track Record: Wilson is a Vietnam War veteran and the current mayor of San Ramon. Wilson was the 2005 recipient of the National Music Educator Association State Legislator of the Year Award.
Priorities and Solutions: As Assemblyman, Wilson would focus on “fiscal responsibility, bringing jobs back to the region, and improving education statewide,” said Matthew Dobler, Wilson’s campaign manager.
Quick Fact: Wilson became the City of San Ramon’s first elected Mayor in 2003.
Measure W
Measure W is a general plan that would allow urban growth boundaries to expand in San Ramon.
What Supporters Say: San Ramon Councilman David Hudson, a Measure W supporter, said the measure does not call for annexation of any land into San Ramon. “ Measure W shows where development can occur and that Tassajara is not one of the 34 sites identified in Measure W,” he said.
What Opponents Say: Measure W will allow development of 1,624 additional acres in Tassajara Valley and add 608 acres in the hills west of Highway 680.
Governor
Candidate: Jerry Brown
Party: Democrat
Track Record: Brown is a former California governor, Secretary of State, chairman of the California Democratic Party, and Mayor of Oakland. Currently he is the state attorney general.
Priorities and Solutions: Brown’s campaign cites his experience in government as a strength that will help him to create new jobs and industries, without raising taxes.
Quick Fact: In his previous term as governor Brown refused many perks of the office, including choosing not to live in the newly constructed governor’s mansion and driving his own car instead of a chauffeured limousine.
Candidate: Meg Whitman
Party: Republican
Track Record: Whitman is the former CEO and President of eBay. She also served as an executive for several other companies. She has repeatedly been named among the Top Five most powerful women by Fortune Magazine.
Priorities and Solutions: Whitman’s campaign focuses on the goals of reinvigorating California’s economy, eliminating government waste, and fixing the public school system.
Quick Fact: Whitman has spent more of her own money (over $140 million) on her candidacy than any other self-funded political candidate in U.S. history.
Congress
Candidate: David Harmer
Party: Republican
Track Record: Harmer is an attorney and businessman who has served as in-house counsel for several major financial companies.
Quick Fact: This election will mark Harmer’s third congressional run in three separate congressional districts.
Candidate: Jerry McNerney
Party: Democrat
Track Record: McNerney owned a small wind-energy business before being elected to Congress in 2008.
Quick Fact: McNerney has a Ph.D in mathematics.
U.S. Senate
Candidate: Barbara Boxer
Party: Democrat
Track Record: Boxer was the first female chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee and was also chosen as chair of the Select Committee on Ethics, making her the only senator to preside over two committees simultaneously.
Priorities and Solutions: Boxer is an advocate of health care reform and has made job and economic growth the focus of her campaign.
Quick Fact: Boxer voted against the 2002 joint resolution passed by Congress to authorize the use of military force against Iraq.
Candidate: Carly Fiorina
Party: Republican
Track Record: Fiorina served as CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Fiorina was considered one of the most powerful women in business during her time at Lucent and HP. She served as an adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Priorities and Solutions: If elected, Carly Fiorina promises to implement fiscal conservatism to reduce government spending, end earmarks and provide government accountability for the use of American tax dollars.
Quick Fact: Fiorina started her business career as a secretary and went on to be the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company.
