08 Nov Ron Bernal Declares Victory With Big Lead in Race for Antioch Mayor

Former Antioch city manager and public works director appears to be set to become the city’s next mayor. (Ron Bernal via Bay City News)

Editor’s note: This story has been revised to reflect the updated results released Friday by Contra Costa County.

By Samantha Kennedy

Ron Bernal is declaring victory over Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe after unofficial election results show him leading with over 60% of the vote. 

Bernal held 63.31% of the votes, 16,765 votes, over Hernandez-Thorpe’s 29.85% and 7,903, when he made the announcement. 

“This election was a loud statement from Antioch residents that they are ready for positive change,” Bernal said in a Thursday statement. “I’m committed to fostering transparency, rebuilding trust in our local government, and creating opportunities for everyone in our city.”

A Friday afternoon update to unofficial election results showed Bernal maintaining a steady lead over Hernandez-Thorpe, upping his total number of votes to 21,508 and Hernandez-Thorpe to 10,381. 

Bernal’s announcement comes days after Hernandez-Thorpe conceded the race on election night as initial results showed overwhelming support for Bernal. 

“I’m not winning this evening, and I probably will not win as they continue to count the votes,” Hernandez-Thorpe said then. “I will leave Antioch in a stronger place than I found it, and I can confidently tell you that because I have the receipts.”

Bernal, who previously worked for the city as city manager and the public works director, ran his campaign on a platform that prioritized addressing crime and homelessness and revitalizing the economy. 

Bernal is endorsed by current Antioch Council member Lori Ogorchock; former council members Tony Tiscareno, Manny Soliz and Joy Motts; former Antioch mayor and current District 3 candidate Don Freitas; and former Chief of Police Steven Ford. 

Bernal’s win would mean the end of the progressive majority on the Antioch City Council — made up of Hernandez-Thorpe and council members Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson — and, alongside Freitas and District 2 candidate Louie Rocha who are winning their races, would usher in a more moderate council to lead. 

Hernandez-Thorpe asked residents to support Bernal’s transition into the position. 

“As you go on your daily lives, support our new mayor. Support Ron Bernal,” he said following the results on election night. “You don’t have to agree with everything he does or everything he says, but pray for him and make sure that we’re uplifting people and not bringing people down.” 

Hernandez-Thorpe, who was first elected to the council in 2016 and elected mayor in 2020, was criticized during his term for his response to public safety and homelessness, sexual harassment claims from his time as executive director at the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District and a grand jury report revealing evidence of Brown Act violations that could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

In 2021, residents also attempted to recall Hernandez-Thorpe for, among other things, not supporting the police department or businesses. 

Some of the criticism has included racist remarks and threats to Hernandez-Thorpe and the two other Black council members, Torres-Walker and Wilson. One of those comments suggested Antioch can fix problems by “bringing back hangings in town square” and was investigated by the Antioch Police Department before being closed because it failed to rise to the level of a hate crime. 

Some supporters of Hernandez-Thorpe say that some of those racist remarks are coming from Bernal backers, including those who have repurposed President-elect Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” as “Make Antioch Great Again” in online communities. 

Hernandez-Thorpe criticized Bernal during his campaign, claiming Bernal was registered as a Republican and wanted “to infiltrate” Antioch. 

“I got the whole list of the MAGA Republicans who are supporting Ron Bernal who want to take us back to a 1940s America where it was OK to take your rights away and stop the progress that we’re seeing today,” Hernandez-Thorpe said at an October press conference after reading contributors to Bernal’s campaign. “Let me make myself very clear, Ron Bernal, we’re not going back.” 

Bernal briefly addressed those accusations in his victory announcement. 

Bernal said his campaign focused “on the need for change and addressed key issues impacting the community, including the crime and homelessness crises, economic revitalization, community unity, and an end to divisiveness,” in the release. But “Hernandez-Thorpe sent out mailers featuring himself with prominent Democrats, highlighted an endorsement from the California Democratic Party, and criticized Bernal for his lifelong Republican affiliation until last year.”

More than 84,000 ballots countywide, many of them vote-by-mail received on or before Election Day, still need to be processed, according to the Contra Costa County Elections Office website. An update to unofficial results is expected on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.