Fairfield City Councilmember Pam Bertani appeared to have a strong lead in the city’s mayoral race, according to early election results Tuesday.
As of Tuesday night, 45.2% of voters favored Bertani, ahead of opponent and fellow City Councilmember Scott Tonnesen, who netted 21.2% of votes.
The four candidates in the running to lead the small city of 122,000 are a mix of current elected and community leaders: Bertani, a City Council member since 2011; Tonnesen, a City Council member since 2020; Tri-City NAACP President Nikila Walker Gibson; and Planning Commission Chair George Kennedy.
Bertani’s platform is protective of Fairfield residents, with statements against some housing developments and for more community input on plans for California Forever, a 70,000-acre billionaire-backed real estate development bordering Fairfield. Bertani is also supported by ex-Mayor Cat Moy, who resigned in scandal earlier this year.
Tonnesen, a fifth-generation Fairfield resident, formerly worked as a real estate appraiser. In his mayoral campaign, Tonnesen netted endorsements from the Fairfield Police Officers’ Association and Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce and some of the same labor groups that have thrown their support behind California Forever. He has expressed support for the development project.
Tonnesen has pulled contributions from big-time construction outfits, prominent business owners and the former chair of the Jelly Belly Candy Company, which is headquartered in Fairfield.
Walker Gibson is a new competitor to electoral politics. She serves as president of the local NAACP chapter, a commissioner for First 5 Solano, which oversees child welfare, and was named Solano County Woman of the Year in 2023 by Sen. Bill Dodd.
Her campaign, which is mostly self-funded, centers her grassroots background and commitment to affordable housing and economic development for the city. Walker Gibson has expressed skepticism toward California Forever.
Kennedy, a business owner who has previously made bids for City Council, is focused on economic growth for Fairfield and transparency from civic leaders. Kennedy said in a recent candidate forum that streamlining the permitting processes is crucial for building revenue. His top backers include Charles Wagner, a winemaker in Napa, and Concord homebuilding magnate Albert D. Seeno III.
This summer, community leaders called for more investment in Fairfield youth programs after the high-profile beating of 16-year-old student Maurice Williams by a Fairfield police officer at Fairfield High School in May, followed by the shooting death of 18-year-old Sem Yeto High School senior Jamario Baker in June.
In the weeks that followed, both Walker Gibson and Bertani publicly demanded answers from the Fairfield Police Department and held events to honor Baker’s life.