Fairfax Town Council Election: 3 Lead In Unofficial Vote Tally

FAIRFAX, CA — Five candidates were running for three seats on the council Tuesday. Newcomer Chance Cutrano led with 2,512 votes Tuesday, Incumbent Barbara Coler led second with 2,228 votes and Incumbent Bruce Ackerman led third with 1,724 votes.

Incumbent John Reed trailed with 1,478 votes and newcomer Joe McGarry trailed with 1,062 votes. But even with 100 percent precincts reporting these vote totals are still technically unofficial.

The three incumbents were John Reed, a retired film animator, running for a fourth term; Bruce Ackerman, an engineer, running for a second term; and Barbara Coler, an environmental scientist for 40 years, running for a third term.

Their opponents were Chance Cutrano, environmental nonprofit director and Joe McGarry, a food service director.

Real-time results are below, use the scroll on the right. Patch will be updating the results throughout the night as votes are tallied — refresh the page for the latest updates.

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Coler, 68, has said the single most pressing issues within Marin County are housing for inclusion, social justice and racial equity.

"Marin County (including our cities/towns) is the least diverse county in the State of California," Coler told Patch earlier in October. "My view is that this is largely due to our housing policies, lack of truly affordable housing and resistance to change. Supporting new and retaining existing affordable housing, as well as adopting housing social justice policies (e.g., renter protections) are critical for increasing diversity in our Town."

Ackerman, 66, is prioritizing climate change in his campaign.

"I developed Fairfax's first Climate Action Plan and founded the Climate Action Committee," Ackerman told Patch in early October. "Currently re-writing the Climate Action Plan to address the Town's resolution of a Climate Emergency."

Ackerman says he brings a practical engineering background and a balance viewpoint to discussions.

"[We] will be working with the newly-formed Racial Equity and Social Justice Committee to find ways to elevate the community's attitudes and actions, while understanding that Fairfax has and will continue to serve in many ways as a model of a tolerant, open community," Ackerman said.

Challenger Cutrano, 27, also echos that climate change should be at the top of Fairfax's concerns.

"Climate change is the issue of our epoch," Cutrano told Patch in October. "...I will work creatively with my fellow council members, our Town administration, our Town committees, intergovernmental stakeholders, and our Fairfax residents to ensure our ongoing planning, our ordinances, and our capital expenditures are aligned so that we can actually implement our plans and create a more resilient community."

Stay tuned to Patch on Election Day for results.

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Find more Patch coverage from California 2020 election here.