.
Feedback

SJC City Council Election Results: Byrnes and Allevato Win

Voters may have split the factions, with former Mayor Roy Byrnes and incumbent Sam Allevato leading and only two precincts left to count.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, former Mayor Roy Byrnes is back on the City Council, and incumbent Sam Allevato will retain his seat in unofficial results released around midnight.

"Naturally, I'm grateful for the support of so many," Byrnes said early Wednesday morning. "I'm gratified for the confidence. I just hope I don't disappoint."

Byrnes and Kim McCarthy had captured the lead in mail-in and early voting and with two precints reporting, but the next wave of precincts reporting drew in the majority of the votes. 

For a moment, only 166 votes separated Allevato and McCarthy, but the incumbent pulled away some more for a total of a 273-vote difference.

Five candidates, including one incumbent, were vying for two seats on the council. (Candidate Melissa Abbott-Kaffen dropped out earlier in the race, but her name remained on the ballot.)

With all 24 precints reporting, here's how the race shaped up: 

ROY L. BYRNES 4,962 25.7% SAM ALLEVATO 4,283 22.2% KIM MCCARTHY 4,010 20.8% GINNY KERR 3,594 18.6% TOM MARANTZ 1,245 6.5% MELISSA ABBOTT-KAFFEN 1,206 6.2%

The voters appear to have split the vote between two factions.

Since the election of Derek Reeve to the City Council in 2010, many votes have gone 4-1, but the election of two compatriots in McCarthy and Byrnes could have changed all that. The two have been running as a slate. But only Byrnes will join Reeve.

Incumbent Allevato and Planning Commissioner Ginny Kerr ran as something as a slate as well, and have spent tens of thousands to win.

Meanwhile, Tom Marantz ran as an outsider and garnered 6.5 percent of the vote. He told Patch he was moved by how his fellow candidates and the community received him. He vowed to serve the city in some other capacity.

Buy My Bikes November 7, 2012 at 07:32 pm
Sam and Roy good luck!!!!
Dusty W Otero November 7, 2012 at 07:40 pm
Hey Lon in 4 years I am going to run for city council,,,what do u think lol
PubliusSJC November 7, 2012 at 08:35 pm
Seriously? These are the last things our council should address.
PubliusSJC November 7, 2012 at 08:39 pm
Steve are you capable of being gracious? Maybe a thank you to Kim for trying to help our town?
Lon Uso November 7, 2012 at 09:36 pm
Love you Dusty, you can always make me laugh!!!!!!! lol
thejellyfish November 7, 2012 at 10:57 pm
It appears the Allevato/Kerr campaign used the same outfit to remove signs that is currently building the San Juan Creek underpass......
Lon Uso November 7, 2012 at 11:38 pm
there it is folks, the smoking gun. Get ready for jellyfishgate. So you are saying that a company that builds underpasses that employs engineers and other highly trained personnel has a division that picks up signs? or maybe you saw a pickup truck throwing signs from an election that's over into the back of one of their pickup trucks to help out the City.
Schrimp, is this how you begin the cumbaya moment.
thejellyfish November 7, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Oh Dr. Uso, no silly. The San Juan Creek underpass is so far behind their completion dates, that Alevato/Kerr must have used the same workers because they are so slow in picking up the signs. Why did I have to explain this to you?
Lon Uso November 8, 2012 at 12:18 am
Jelly, like I've been trying to tell the rest of your brain dead crew, there are plenty of legitimate gripes but it seems that you guys prefer the silly nonsense. I keep hoping that you will learn and attract some viable candidates that with the sensible truth on your side and a candidate that is not so angry that she scares people you will be able to put forth a successful campaign to challenge the status quo.
good luck
ca November 8, 2012 at 01:08 am
ooo please tell me you're kidding jclark!!...
thejellyfish November 8, 2012 at 01:15 am
Dr. Uso, please no need to insult me. I am not sure what you mean by a brain dead crew. I am sorry that you do not enjoy humor.
thejellyfish November 8, 2012 at 01:20 am
Dr. Uso, why do you always make such ugly comments? No one has said one bad thing to you. Yet, your comments are always so ugly?
Clint Worthington November 8, 2012 at 03:36 am
Dusty, thank you for your help in getting those signs down. We had our crews out early this morning taking the signs down as soon as possible. i am sure that we may have missed a couple, but we tried to get all of our signs down as soon as possible.
Clint Worthington November 8, 2012 at 03:37 am
Jim, that was very nice of you of you to say.
Steve Behmerwohld November 8, 2012 at 04:01 am
Yeah Lon, nobody has EVER said ANYTHING bad about you!
Now, if we can just fix Global Warming.
Dusty W Otero November 8, 2012 at 04:39 am
Thanks Clint ..
yes I seen you guys over by sj creek road this morning .. I took around 80 signs down and it was good work out.. .and it feels good to be a part of history,,, I see so much change in this valley ,,might as well be a volunteer..and leave a mark...
Steve Behmerwohld November 8, 2012 at 11:53 am
@PubllusSJC re: Gracious, I like Roy and consider him a friend. re: Kim, I have always been told, "If you don't have anything nice to say about somebody, don't say anything at all".
SJCNative November 8, 2012 at 03:19 pm
The true former mayor shows himself in his comments.
SJCNative November 8, 2012 at 03:19 pm
So far that saying has not stopped you.
Lon Uso November 8, 2012 at 03:32 pm
Gosh native, now you've gone and hurt my feelings.
I was never one to mince words even as Mayor. You apparently identified with my comments.
Lon Uso November 8, 2012 at 03:41 pm
And yet there were so many things we could have said that we didn't
For example; I can't believe that you people talked Roy into running for Council. There are so many things that he should be doing now to enrich the rest of his life. 4 years of this venom is going to hurt him more than anything i could have said about him. This is the most selfish thing I have ever seen in my life.
SJCNative November 8, 2012 at 03:45 pm
Again, the true former mayor is coming out, and it is obvious why you were not re-elected by the voters.
SJCNative November 8, 2012 at 03:48 pm
On the other hand, Dr. Byrnes and his wife love this town so much after living here for 53 years that they have no problem devoting time to the town that they both so love.
What an unselfish act by both of them. Thank you Doctor and Mrs. Byrnes !!
SJCNative November 8, 2012 at 09:46 pm
Buy My Bikes, you might want to let your neighbor, Matt Gaffney know that it is ok to take the election signs down for Allevato and Kerr down. It is too late to vote for Kerr.
Lon Uso November 9, 2012 at 03:23 pm
It is incredibly unselfish of HIM, no doubt about it!!! Roy is very dedicated to SJC. My comments were directed at those that convinced him to do it. Time will tell the toll that this will take on him.
Lon Uso November 9, 2012 at 03:25 pm
Again, ouch, lol!!!
JessC November 10, 2012 at 07:43 pm
Dr. Uso, I am sure the "group" did not force Dr. Byrnes to run. Dr. Byrnes is a wise man and no doubt deliberated long and hard before tossing his hat into the ring. I love Roy and apparently more than half of SJC's citizens do also. The proof is in the pudding. He won by an overwheming majority. I only hope I have half of his energy, witt, and talent (God willing) if I should live to be 88.
JessC November 10, 2012 at 07:47 pm
I meant more than 5000 citizens, not half.
Lon Uso November 10, 2012 at 08:11 pm
Look Jess, I like Roy as well and for his age he is in good shape but i know the physical and mental toll that this job will put on him and because i like him i am concerned.
I will bet you that Roy didn't wake up one day and decide how much fun it would be to be on the Council, someone convinced him, I hope that they don't regret doing so. I hope that I am wrong and that he enjoys the experience and comes through it unscathed, I truly do!!!!
Jim Schneider November 25, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Based on this election, it seems obvious that I need to run again and get elected to council. Sooner the better. FYI - I had no election signs to take down. Why are all candidates still thinking this works? SJC needs real change. I can provide this. I look forward to serving the people in this city. Jim Schneider - 2014

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from San Juan Capistrano Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Lawrene Bottorf June 15, 2013 at 03:57 pm
Bummer...
Clint Worthington June 16, 2013 at 03:44 pm
You have a right to live in peace in your home. I would not put up with that.
rob h June 13, 2013 at 07:11 am
Wonder how many people even understood the first COEXIST sticker, let alone this one
Lynn Monaghan June 14, 2013 at 03:22 pm
Paige, I'm confused too. Just imagine how the Statue of Liberty/ Mother of Exiles must feel aboutRead More being on the sticker. Caring for our tired and poor immigrants, our tempest-tossed and huddled masses yearning to breathe free, doesn't seem to be a top priority for capitalists, after all. Maybe she should be replaced with someone else who could look like an "i"... maybe Joe the Plumber with an outstretched arm holding a plunger?
Status Quo June 16, 2013 at 04:57 pm
Easily as laughable as the mixed message of the effrontery of the coexist sticker... the simplestRead More explanation may be the truth.
John Egan June 13, 2013 at 08:31 pm
To Cox Cable: Make sure Trumbo signs where the customer wants him to sign... Just came back fromRead More Pechanga where Mark was signing and he was signing baseballs with sharpies; not signing on the sweet spot, putting ASTERISKS (!?) after his name on jerseys; and signing helmets on the back, behind the ear flap... Don't take expensive items down there...
Clint Worthington June 13, 2013 at 08:50 am
The City approved the plans for Del Taco many years ago. What they did not approve was the changeRead More in the color to the tiles and the change in color to the outside of the building. Those are changes to the original plans submitted by Del Taco. As the Design Review Committee pointed out, these changes are not acceptable. The City does have strict requirements regarding signs and architecture.