Election 2020: Katrina Foley earns second term as Costa Mesa mayor, retail cannabis scores big win

With only a few more ballots left to count, Orange County Registrar of Voters figures on Thursday indicated winners in several Costa Mesa contests, including four open City Council seats and a measure to legalize retail marijuana sales and delivery.

Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley — who became the city’s first elected mayor in 2018 — will retain her seat after earning 52.95% of the vote with 22,500 ballots cast in her favor as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Councilwoman Sandy Genis followed behind at 22.78% with 9,680 votes.

Foley said Wednesday she stayed up until midnight in a virtual celebration on Zoom watching the results come in alongside other candidates and campaign volunteers.

“It was a really fun event, and it was the best we could do without getting together in person,” she said. “We had some diehard supporters stay with us on the Zoom right until the end—there was great energy.”

Wendy Leece, a former council member and Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of trustee, came in third in the mayoral race, earning 11.29% of the votes with 4,798 ballots. Personal trainer and business owner Quentin “Q” Pullen ranked fourth with 9.88% and 4,199 votes, followed by Al Melone with 3.1% and 1,316 ballots cast.

Costa Mesa’s First Council District race saw a close contest as Mayor Pro Tem John Stephens squared off against challenger Don Harper. Early results showed the incumbent leading, but by Thursday Harper had earned 3,904 votes (43%) compared to Stephens’ 3,751 (41.32%).

A business owner with corporate finance experience, Harper said he ran because he felt the current city council wasn’t representing the interests of community members who value fiscal responsibility, basic public services and slow growth.

“We just want a safe, clean, well-maintained city to raise our families in,” he said. “[The current council is] cutting infrastructure and maintenance — you’re going to start seeing our parks and roads, these basic services, decline.”

After initial vote counts, Harper figured his campaign had ended, but then the tide began to shift. Wednesday afternoon found the candidate reluctant to declare a narrow-margin victory.

It’s unclear whether the 175,516 still-uncounted mail-in ballots may affect the District 1 race. Stephens took to social media late Tuesday to express his thanks to supporters.

“Win or lose I have no regrets,” he said.

In District 2, newcomer Loren Gameros walked away with a win and 49.7% of the vote with 3,366 ballots cast over challenger Ben Chapman’s 2,042 votes, which netted 30.15%.

A liaison for a nonprofit that trains apprentices for union positions, Gameros campaigned alongside wife Heather, 14-year-old son Kyle and daughter Presley, 6. He said when Foley approached him about running for office, it seemed like the right time.

“She said, we need some boots on the ground people who can relate, and that’s me,” he recalled. “I see a lot of agitators online making bold statements, but I don’t see a lot of people doing anything — I’m a doer, not a talker.”

Gameros said Wednesday his top priority would be helping Costa Mesans recover from the COVID-19 crisis, both physically and economically.

The 6th Council District drew four contenders and resulted in an early win for Planning Commissioner Jeff Harlan, who secured 48% of the vote with 4,065 ballots. He was followed by Jeff Pettis, who earned 19.94% of the vote and the confidence of 1,688 residents.

Harlan said Wednesday, after staying up late Tuesday to watch local and national races, he was excited to represent the city’s Eastside. He plans to bring his background as an urban planner and land use attorney to bear as Costa Mesa updates the housing element in its general plan.

“Housing is very complicated — we’ve got regulatory pressures from the state and community members who don’t want to see any growth,” he said. “It’s an incredible balancing act.”

Bid to legalize retail cannabis wins nearly two-thirds approval

Measure Q — a city-initiated effort to allow for the retail sale and delivery of marijuana — passed Tuesday with 65.66% of the vote and 28,741 ballots cast, compared to 15,030 opposed.

The move could generate around $3 million annually through a proposed taxation of 4% to 7% on sales receipts. Tuesday’s vote echoed the results of a study conducted this summer, in which 68% of 427 respondents favored legalizing retail businesses.

Foley said Measure Q would not only provide a revenue stream but allow city officials to regulate dispensaries and crack down on illegal operators. Gameros said he favored a well-thought out ordinance that would bring both medical and financial benefits to the city’s residents.

Harper, however, said he had mixed feelings about the city’s mailing out educational materials regarding Measure Q in advance of Election Day.

“I don’t think a city should rightfully promote a proposition either way,” he said. “They should be neutral.”

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