The latest results from last week’s election show two candidates vying to make a November runoff election to represent San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors District 1 are separated by just 10 votes.
District 1 covers South Stockton and unincorporated areas near the city and is currently represented by board chair Miguel Villapudua.
San Joaquin County native and third-generation firefighter Mario Gardea has been holding the lead in the race with 41.29 percent of the votes and appears headed to the November runoff.
However, opponents Lilliana Udang and Chris Rouppet have been fighting for the second spot to potentially join Gardea. The latest unofficial election results published Monday night indicated that Udang had 1,854 votes with 18.57 percent of the votes while Rouppet had 1,844 votes and 18.47 percent.
Udang is a Stockton native and is district director for state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman while Rouppet is also a county native and currently serves as chief of staff for Villapudua.
During his campaigning time, Rouppet made headlines last year after being charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash.
“It was just an accident that unfortunately happened,” Rouppet said.
According to the candidate, the case was brought down to a misdemeanor.
With no candidate receiving a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will go to the runoff in the Nov. 5 general election.
As of now voter turnout in San Joaquin County was at 23.8 percent with 87,802 ballots counted, according to the county registrar of voters. More preliminary results will be published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night by 7 p.m. Until all ballots have been counted.
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
