Monica Martinez will be the next Santa Cruz County District 5 Supervisor according to the lates election results. Martinez is leading in a runoff race against Christopher Bradford.
Out of 23,015 ballots cast, Martinez has garnered 56.28% of the vote to Bradford’s 43.47% as of Wednesday afternoon.
The two candidates made it to the November election as frontrunners after the March primary failed to determine a clear winner holding more than 50% of the vote. In that race, Martinez led with 46.43% of the vote to Bradford’s 21.41% for the seat currently held by longtime local poltician Bruce McPherson, who didn’t run.
“I’m feeling really positive, I’m so grateful for everybody who came out to vote, and it feels good to be the early front runner, but it’s also very important to make sure that every vote is counted. So we’re just anxiously awaiting the next drop of ballots,” Martinez said in a phone call Tuesday night.
The 2020 CZU fire and its aftermath were a crucial platform point for a community still recovering from the disaster. Both candidates ran on platforms focused on speeding up the rebuilding and recovery process after the fire and bolstering fire protection services and training for the area.
Martinez’s platform also emphasized the equitable distribution of road repair funds for the rural district and addressing the infrastructure needs like water, landline phone service and internet. In the last year, area residents dealt with a water service and sewage crisis, forcing local provider Big Basin Water Company into a public receivership.
Martinez was endorsed by dozens of the county’s political tastemakers, including District 2 Supervisor Zach Friend, former supervisor and political operative Ryan Coonerty and McPherson himself.
