Ventura County Election Certified With Gillette 146 Votes in Front of Adam

Mayor Dennis Gillette holds onto his City Council seat by about 1/10 of 1 percent of the vote. It was a close race with candidates going to bed on election night thinking challenger Al Adam had won the third seat. He said he thought he'd be joining number one vote getter council member Claudia Bill-de la Pena and second place Mayor Pro-Tem Andy Fox in the winner's circle. But, the votes were counted in the close race for almost two weeks before the election was certified with Dennis winning by 146 votes.

When asked this morning  if he would ask for a recount Al said he didn't know for sure and that he may look into it. He also noted he'd find a vote recount more compelling if the mayor was only 10 or 20 votes ahead.

Al said his placement as number 12 on the ballot of 13 candidates could have made the difference. Or it might have been confusing for voters that a man named Adams was also running and on the ballot right next to him at number 13, he said.

Bottom line:

"It's not easy to unseat an incumbent, especially when there are 10 challengers. But I came within a whisker of defeating the mayor," he said.