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David Rabbitt, left is congratulated by supervisor Efren Carrillo on Tuesday in Petaluma. KENT PORTER/PD
By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Single-term Petaluma City Councilman David Rabbitt defeated Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt in the race for the 2nd District Sonoma County supervisor’s seat.
With all 57 precincts reporting, Rabbitt had 54.2 percent of the vote to Torliatt’s 44.3 percent.
“When I first saw the numbers coming in, I was overwhelmed,” said Rabbitt, 50, who jumped to an early lead on returns from absentee ballots. “I’m still cautiously optimistic until it’s certified.”
If his lead holds the victory will have many of the marks of an underdog’s triumph. He ran a far-second to Torliatt in the June primary, raised $75,000 less in campaign cash, and had none of the high-profile endorsements of the North Coast’s state and federal elected officials, or from the Democratic Party, all of which went to Torliatt, an 18-year veteran of Petaluma politics.
Supervisor Pam Torliatt talks to supporters while visiting the Democratic Party headquarters in Santa Rosa. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG/PD
Torliatt, 43, would not comment Tuesday night. Her term as mayor will end next month.
Rabbitt’s apparent victory put a surprising end to a high-profile runoff that attracted a near-record amount of campaign cash, $672,000, much of it from powerful special interests in the county. Rabbitt was backed by agriculture, development and business interests, while Torliatt drew support from large public employee unions and environmental groups.
Independent expenditure committees also poured roughly $112,000 into the race with nearly $90,000 of that total dedicated to mailers opposing Torliatt.
Political observers said much was at stake in the race.
“It was the only contested supervisorial seat in this election and the winner decides whether it’s going to be more moderate versus a more progressive board of supervisors,” said Brian Sobel, a campaign consultant and former Petaluma city councilman.
Differences in land-use policy did the most to set the two candidates apart.
Rabbitt has been critical of the decisions by the current slow-growth majority on the Petaluma City Council, lead by Torliatt, which has been blamed for delays in a number of large developments.
Rabbitt’s detractors said his support from developers and business groups would make him beholden to those interests in important votes on the board of supervisors.
But supporters said his politics would lead to more jobs.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Chris Snyder, district representative for Operating Engineers Local 3, a major Rabbitt supporter. “The ‘jobs’ messages definitely prevailed.”
Outgoing supervisor Mike Kerns and 3rd District Supervisor Shirlee Zane sent congratulatory messages to Rabbitt.
“Seems a little premature for me. (But) it’s nice to see the numbers coming in the way they’re coming in,” Rabbitt said.
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@nfp aka Not for Pam:
Unlike you, I don’t drive a huge, gas guzzling truck, so unfortunately, we won’t have room in our car to accommodate others.
Once Rabbitt and his ilk have destroyed what’s most desirable about Petaluma, they’ll be leaving, too. Aimi Dutra lives in Marin, and Novato’s closer to the City where Jane works.
Distraught and disgusted, but don’t count on us leaving until we’ve exhausted all options. Meanwhile, read some Reich and Krugman instead of these forums, and you just might learn that Torliatt is not responsible for the Great Recession. However, the wealth that’s concentrated in the hands of the few are. Until the wealth is distributed more equally among the middle class, expect more of the same. But most of you continue to vote for those who continue to undermine and destroy the middle class.
@ Camino Alto
Just to set the record straight – David Rabbit has lived in Petaluma for at least 20 years, and before that in Marin County. He went to high school in SF. And if you check with your “progressive” friends, I’m pretty sure most of them were not raised in Sonoma County. Where are David Glass, Jason Davies, and David Keller from?
IT’s no coincidence that Sonoma County voted backwards for legalizing Pot and kept Pam Torliatt in office office for 18 years. Remember that “progressive” is just a socialist in “climate change” clothing. Torliatt’s supporters are part of the crowd that brought us Barack Obama and his failed Orwellian policies. We rebuked him and we rebuked her. Enough is enough! Congratulations David, give us a functioning county.
@ Paul Andersen
My attacks on the Torliatt candidacy here, and in other forums, have been on her record, that she makes great noise about, but on closer examination is checkered at best and has led to far more problems for the city than it has solved.
Not snide, not rude… just the facts.
Pam Torliatt lost because the voters in District 2, of which I am one, see a bankrupt city that can’t seem to find it’s way…. that she leads.
‘Nuff said.
@ Paul Anderson….you should look at the posts from the supporters of the other winners on this site before you post. You won’t find much class or grace coming from them. Let people celebrate.
Way to go Rabbit!
Even in victory the Rabbitt supporters are still snide and rude. Sore winners. Give it a rest folks.
Its about time the people of South County saw Torliatt for what she is, an indecisive small minded inexperienced in life incompetent. Rabbitt not only brings intelligence but also life experience to the supervisors position. Congratulations David, make us proud.
@Camino alto- so you’ve “lived here a ‘long time’” and feel the sun has gone down on “your town”? Well, just so you know, the people who worked on Rabbitt’s campaign have lived here a long time too; we’re talking generations!! WE are extremely ecstatic over the outcome.
THANK YOU SONOMA COUNTY!! THANK YOU DAVID!!
Rabbitt ran, ran, ran….. right over Pam, Pam, Pam
And the best candidate won!
Pam Torliatt lost because of her record…she is a flip-flopper! Rabbitt deserved to win. And why so much focus on Dutra? That vote happended a month or so back and was in favor of the project. Rabbitt won’t be voting on this matter. Wake up Petaluma – we need more politicians that can find a balance between businesses and communities! WE can’t survive on tourism and boutiques alone.
What We Lost in 2010
Pam Torliatt and the other progressives sought to promote a smart growth path that would ensure that the development path of the cities and county would preserve the character of our lovely region, promote living wage jobs, and preserve open space through transit-oriented development. That project is now in jeapordy.
The so-called “pro-business” candidates have no real answer to the systemic challenges of the permanent structural changes in the economy and the reality of global climate change. They are focused on their quarterly profit reports, and society be damned.
Paul Krugman may be right when he says that the 2010 elections may mark the end of the U.S. as a functioning democracy and a world class economic power. We have our work cut out for us in the next two years, to try to wake up America.
Although Rabbitt’s victory was good news for many, Sonoma County should use “Embrace Failure” as its new slogan. While nearly the entire rest of the country saw the light, people here once again voted for Woolsey, Boxer, and other left-wing, out of touch, do-nothings.
It’s maddening and pathetic at the same time.
Pam’s campaign folded like the farm boxes she cited as her economic experience!
mike kerns’ puppet-masters will just switch strings to rabbit and keep Sonoma County on its slide to oblivion.
Did the PD report on rabbit’s years of perjury on his campaign finance reports? Not really. You would have hit Pam Torliatt with a sledgehammer if it had been her. But then, Pam plays by the letter of the law. Did the PD EVER report that rabbit is a carpetbagger who moved here from San Francisco less that 10 years ago and has NEVER lived in any rural setting? No. And did the PD report on rabbit’s backroom dealings with Dutra that so many people seem to know about? No.
Press Democrat (you don’t deserve to have the name “Democrat” in your name); you should be ashamed of yourselves for pushing this inexperienced clown.
Thanks to the people who voted rabbit into office, Petaluma will have an asphalt plant at it’s doorstep that will poison the air and the Petaluma River, rural Cotati will have an unneeded rock quarry in an environmentally sensitive area and there will be more unmneeded gravel mining in the Russian River which will lead to more degradation of our water supply. Actually all of these abominations will be tied up in court for years and waste millions of dollars and countless hours of effort.
Yes I am most certainly a sore loser. I’ve lived here a long time and I despise the inanity that I see among voters. I can see that the sun has gone down on my town, on my town, good-bye.
Take your signs down NOW!
The Empire Strikes Back
The concerted campaign to crush Pam Torliatt was a troubling sign of the direction of local politics. We are seeing the nationalization of local races, with huge sums of financing through Chamber/developer/resource extraction special interests pouring in to wrest control of the political apparatus. The focus of their activity was on overturning the slender progressive majorities in the main cities of Petaluma and Santa Rosa.
The themes were consistent at the local, state, and national levels. Welcome to our new overlord, “Republicorp”. They own this country and this county, and you better not forget it.
@Joan Cooper says………”Pam Torliatt is a winner and will continue to lead us.” I have a bridge to sell you. Pam has never, ever, won a election outside the City of Petaluma.
Olivia is so distraught, she is leaving town…..she has room in her car.
Rabbitt is a good man, and will be a great Supervisor.
Ami Dutra has already congratulated Rabbitt on his Facebook page. I truly hope Rabbitt stays true to his previous stance against the Dutra project. A lot of people voted for him based on his previous statements about the project and it would be shameful if he changes his tune now that he has been elected.
” Thanks to Rabbitt and The Citizens for Transportation Funding, we can all wake up and smell the asphalt and diesel.”
Smells like …. employment!
I love the smell of asphalt in the morning; seeing employed, working, taxpaying men and women backlighted by the steam and heavy equipment of progress.
Pamela Torliatt waged a campaign based on actual experience, truth, and ethics – she never gave in to the politics of hate and fear-mongering coming at her from the Rabbitt campaign. She took the high road and her future is bright – Pam will go on to do more important things than wrestle with the greed and corruption of the local aggregate and construction industry owners up in santa Rosa, those funders of the Rabbitt campaign who will go to any immoral ends to preserve their profits, including stirring up anti-Latino fear and hate to get their man elected. Shame on them and shame on the majority of electorate who fell for their lies and insinuations. Pam Torliatt is a winner and will continue to lead us.
Rabbitt’s win was predictable. Healy was a faux candidate, a spoiler to divide and conquer, to force a run-off between Torliatt and Rabbitt, knowing that Healy and King voters would flock together and vote for Rabbitt.
Thanks to Rabbitt and The Citizens for Transportation Funding, we can all wake up and smell the asphalt and diesel.
too bad for the City of Petaluma – more strip malls and empty buildings to come.
Congratulations David!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Where was the pic of Aimi Dutra who was at Rabbitt’s party this evening? She was cozying up with Efren Carrillo who was also there. Now that the polls have closed Dutra and Rabbitt can come out of the closet and he can stop pretending not to support them. I hope all you Rabbitt supporters love the sweet smell of asphalt in the morning! And of course Chris Snyder is “estactic” because now Dutra can set up shop and 10 of his union guys can get a job – you gotta be union though otherwise you’re outta luck! What has this world come to when politicians backed by special interests that could care less about our community are voted for by your own neighbors. Very sad indeed!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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David is going to make a fantastic Supervisor. A Great man that will represent all…Great Job Sir!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Run Rabbitt Run……… Goodnite Pam!!!!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Go Rabbitt
Hot debate. What do you think?
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