New faces in Glendora

Incumbent Tessitor also wins council seat

03/08/2011

Bethania Palma Markus, Staff Writer

Ying Yuan Chu of Glendora drops her ballot in the ballot box with the guidance of poll worker Sandra Diaz, and daughter Katherine Nestor, during Tuesday's municipal election at the Masonic Temple in Glendora. (Watchara Phomicinda Staff Photographer)

GLENDORA - Incumbent Doug Tessitor and newcomers Judy Nelson and Joe Santoro won Tuesday's City Council election.

The trio bested four other candidates vying for three open seats.

Nelson led with 2,974 votes, followed by Tessitor with with 2,687 votes and Santoro with 2,406 votes.

Santoro and Nelson couldn't be reached by phone Tuesday night.

Tessitor was the only incumbent running for re-election in what he called a friendly campaign.

"This is my third campaign and it's been unbelievably unexciting," he said with a laugh. "All of the candidates who are running said we agree with what the City Council has been doing and some have endorsed my re-election."

Challengers Cynthia Carrasco, Jason Nagy, John C. Fields and Erica Landmann-Johnsey all finished with fewer than 2,000 votes.

Two of the three seats were opened after a pair of former council members opted to step away from city politics.

Mayor Ken Herman said he was retiring from the council to live closer to his family in Nevada. And former Councilman Gary Clifford resigned last year when he was hired by Athens Services because the trash hauling company has a contract with Glendora. Terry Kent was appointed to replace him and agreed from the outset not to seek election.

Tessitor said the city is headed in the right direction.

"It's been a unified council and we've dealt with issues like adults," he said. "We've been very positive and proactive in terms of trying to do the city's business."