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Initial results show Wonman Lee with a sizable lead over James Rohr in the Menlo Park City Council District 1 race, according to early returns released at 9 p.m. Nov. 3.
Lee leads with 75.5%, (288 votes), compared with Rohr’s 24.5% (93 votes).
Lee, a software engineer who serves on the city’s Finance and Audit Commission, and Rohr, a retired cybersecurity professional, are vying to replace Councilmember Cecilia Taylor in District 1, which includes the Belle Haven and Bayfront neighborhoods. Taylor endorsed Rohr.
The results released so far include only vote-by-mail ballots received by the San Mateo County Elections Office by Nov. 1. The office will release results from in-person voting hourly starting at 9 p.m. until all those ballots are counted. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day must arrive by Nov. 10 to be counted and will be released daily starting Nov. 5.
The results of only 380 votes of the 3,297 registered voters in District 1 have been released so far. There are at least 177 voter center ballots outstanding as of 3:40 p.m.
District 1 is one of three Menlo Park districts electing a City Council representative this year. Council members in the city’s five districts serve four-year terms that begin in December, after the vote is certified. Newly elected candidates are scheduled to be sworn in at City Council Chambers on Dec. 8.
Both Lee and Rohr said they want to ensure that Belle Haven gets a full-service grocery store and a pharmacy.
Lee supports increased development citywide, especially near transit. Rohr, on the other hand, does not want additional multifamily housing built in Belle Haven and wants to ensure new development does not displace longtime Belle Haven residents in single-family homes. He also wants the city to increase legal and financial support for renters
Both candidates feel that Menlo Park does not distribute resources fairly across all five districts.
Visit The Almanac’s website for initial election results of other local races and measures, which will be updated over the next several days.
