Hosp Leads Wilson in District 7 Race Still Too Close to Call

In a runoff election that was closer than the primary which prompted it, first-time Council candidate Phil Hosp ended the evening’s count with a 20-vote lead over incumbent Councilmember Andy Wilson, based on unofficial final election results for the Pasadena Council District 7 seat.

Attorney Phil Hosp was ahead by 20 votes after the night’s count, with 1,602, or 50.3 percent of the vote, and 1,582 votes cast for Wilson, or 49.6 percent of the vote.

City election officials were quick to note that the race was still too close to call, as a mandatory re-count of ballots will occur next week, with approximately 290 ballots —including about 90 provisional ballots and 200 vote-by-mail ballots — needing to be verified, and then counted.

An unknown number of vote-by-mail ballots could also be received by the end of this week, and would also need to be verified as eligible to be counted, and added to the final vote count.

“I was never surprised at all during the evening,” said Hosp. “I had knocked on so many doors, and met so many people. I think, generally, the feedback from the residents on their doorsteps was perhaps the truest and most honest feedback I’d get because, nobody likes to receive a call at home during dinner, when I showed up at their doors on Saturdays and Sundays, that’s the most candid feedback I could get. I could see in their faces what their real concerns are.”

Incumbent Wilson was reluctant to call the race done, saying, “We ran a great campaign, and now it seems like we have a jump ball, we are in a holding pattern.”

Wilson allowed that he was surprised at the evening’s results, saying, “I would have thought we would have put more distance between us, but the drama has been sensational,” he said, likening the contest to a “reality show.”

Wilson also said that should he not prevail, he would not rule out running for another office at some point.

“I have such great admiration and respect for this city,” he said. “If there was a way I could continue to serve the area, I would not rule it out.”

Should Hosp ultimately win, he would be the first candidate in recent Pasadena history to defeat a sitting Councilmember.

Hosp led the balloting through each of the precinct vote counts, and though Wilson managed to cut the lead down after two of the four precinct totals were announced, Hosp never lost his lead.

This year, more vote-by-mail ballots — over 2,000 — were received than votes cast at the four polling locations — Hamilton Elementary, Blair High School, Fire Station 34, and the Pasadena office of the Assistance League. A total of 1,184 votes were cast Tuesday from the four precincts in the 7th District.

Both the provisional and additional vote-by-mail ballots currently in the possession of the City Clerk’s Office will need to be verified and, if eligible, will be added to the vote tally. Any additional vote-by-mail ballots received through the end of this week, if properly signed, postmarked and/or dated, can be eligible to be counted too, according to the City Clerk’s Office.

Currently, the number of mail-in ballots yet to be received and/or verified as eligible to be counted, is unknown. A mandatory second count of the ballots will occur next week and the vote will be officially certified by City Clerk Mark Jomsky by Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

Final District 7 election result information is available online at:
http://www.cityofpasadena.net/cityclerk/Election/electionResults.aspx