Over 200 supporters of lifelong San Marino resident Kathryn Barger packed the Rococo Room in Pasadena when the first returns arrived 26 minutes after polls closed across California on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
“I have some news, some breaking news. We have our first results in,” said the candidate’s brother, John Barger, while supporters barely controlled their excitement.
“Our opponent is at 37.8 percent. Kathryn Barger is at 62…,” he continued as the crowd erupted in celebration. “.2 percent,” John Barger concluded through the noise of the crowd’s tremendous roar.
Kathryn Barger still maintained a sizeable lead when the final ballots were counted and she was elected the next L.A. County Supervisor for the 5th District.
At 10:42 p.m. with 21 percent of the ballots tallied, John Barger returned to the podium to introduce Kathryn Barger.
“There’s only 21 percent in, but we’ve seen the way these things go and we’ve done our own polling. I feel very comfortable congratulating my sister,” he told the applauding crowd.
“For me, as her brother, this is really a wonderful evening,” James Barger said. “I remember, 36 years ago, when I worked on the campaign for current Supervisor Michael Antonovich. It was the first time that he had run for this office and he won. And he ran a very, very good campaign. I think Kathryn is going to be a very, very worthy replacement.”
“This is really a historic night because for the first time we are going to have a board of supervisors that has at least three women in the majority,” John Barger noted, expressing a need for Kathryn Barger’s “great, bipartisan [and] gracious leadership.”
And after a long night of greeting supporters, taking pictures and giving interviews, Kathryn Barger—with her heels off—stood behind the podium to address the excited crowd.
“It’s been a long road to this point and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she said. “Success has many fathers and mothers and this campaign is no exception to that rule,” she said, thanking her family, campaign staff, volunteers, donors and supporters.
Barger also thanked County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Covina Mayor Walter Allen, primary contenders Ara Najarian, Mitch Englander, Bob Huff, Elon Carr and Billy Malone, and her public safety and labor supporters.
She specifically expressed heartfelt thanks to Mike Antonovich.
“When I started, if it were not for Mike Antonovich, I would not be here today,” the 15-year Chief of Staff to Antonovich said, referring to him as her mentor. “He took a chance on me 28 years ago and allowed me to handle health and welfare and be a policy deputy and learn so much about the county.”
Barger succeeds her boss, outgoing County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who served the 5th District for 36 years. He spent his election night with supporters in Pasadena’s Café Santorini, just a floor above Barger’s victory party in the Rococo Room.
Antonovich, the Republican candidate for the 25th State Senate District, fell 15 percentage points short of his opponent, Democrat Anthony Portantino, a former state assemblyman from La Cañada Flintridge.
San Marino’s representative in the California State Assembly, incumbent Democrat Ed Chau, easily sailed to reelection to continue to serve the 49th Assembly District, defeating Peter Amundson by 37.4 percentage points.
Similarly, San Marino’s representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, Judy Chu, was easily reelected, defeating three-time Republican opponent Jack Orswell.
Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A, a tax to fund parks in the county, and Measure M, another tax to improve transportation infrastructure in the county.
To view the election results in full, visit vote.sos.ca.gov.
