Chevron-bankrolled candidates LOSE BIG in Richmond, CA

[noiretextatique]

Anti-Chevron candidates sweep to victory in Richmond races

RICHMOND -- In a race that received national attention thanks to big money from Chevron, a slate of candidates on shoestring budgets swept their oil titan-backed opponents on Tuesday night in a resounding political defeat for the company and its campaign tactics.

Longtime local politician Tom Butt defeated his City Council colleague Nat Bates, garnering 51 percent of the vote to Bates' 35 percent.

In the race for three full-term City Council seats, outgoing Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (16.9 percent of the vote), incumbent Jovanka Beckles (16.2 percent) and challenger Eduardo Martinez (14.6) -- the "Team Richmond" slate backed by the Richmond Progressive Alliance -- swept despite a flurry of negative advertising against them. Incumbent Jael Myrick trounced Corky Boozé for a two-year seat.

Incumbent Jim Rogers was knocked out of his seat, finishing fourth by fewer than 300 votes with all precincts reporting.

Chevron spent big to elect Bates mayor and defeat the "Team Richmond" candidates who are hostile to the oil giant's mammoth refinery here, but voters rejected Chevron's efforts.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/crime-courts/ci_26866574/butt-rogers-lead-early-numbers-richmond-mayor-council

[Suich]

1. Good news! n/t

[KamaAina]

2. Do people really waste $300 million to try and buy government?

People do! (takeoff on Chevron's greenwashing ad campaign from the '80s )

[Jack Rabbit]

3. In this state, we know what to do with Republicans

We beat the crap out of them in an election.

And we do it without voter suppression.

[barbtries]

4. i wanna go home!!

here i am stuck in NC where they just ousted a democrat for a teabagger and the whole friggin govt is republicans. we're pedaling toward the dark ages as fast as possible over here. i am so, sosososososo homesick!

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Maybe we'll start a refuge program in California for people like you

[noiretextatique]

8. a trade program?

one CA teabagger for a progressive from another state.

[noiretextatique]

5. i moved from oakland to richmond over a year ago

and i am really excited and happy about this RESOUNDING defeat of Chevron's hand-picked candidates. thank goodness their nasty attack ads had the opposite of their intended effect

[Jack Rabbit]

6. We know what to do with corporatists sticking their snouts where they don't belong, too!

Congratulations to the people of Richmond.