Cesar Zepeda has won a seat on the Richmond City Council — for the second time this month.
Contra Contra County elections officials certified Zepeda as the victor Friday following an official recount in the District 1 Richmond City Council race. His margin of victory was a slim three votes.
Zepeda initially finished the Nov. 8 election in a tie with Andrew Butt, Mayor Tom Butt’s son. Both candidates had 1,921 votes. Zepeda then won a tiebreaker Dec. 6, when an envelope containing his name was drawn in a random game of chance before the elections department received a recount request.
The recount ended with Zepeda collecting 1,921 votes to 1,918 for Butt.
This “should remind voters how important every single vote is,” said Debi Cooper, clerk-recorder-registrar for Contra Costa County. “I have been working for the Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department for 33 years and recounts have been extremely rare.”
The new City Council is scheduled to be sworn in on Jan. 10, 2023. Zepeda will be seated along with newcomers Doria Robinson, Soheila Bana, and incoming Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
