Pacific Grove voters reject Measure P, elect two new councilmembers.

Of six candidates vying for three open seats on the Pacific Grove City Council, five gathered for a collective election party at the Masonic Lodge downtown, in a room decorated sparsely room with red, white and blue tablecloths and balloons. Hours after presidential results on the East Coast had been dominating the news, Mayor Bill Kampe joked at the podium: “Now, a race that I have a high personal interest in.”

Kampe’s challenger, City Councilman Dan Miller, stayed home instead of joining in at the Masonic Lodge festivities. He also gambled running for mayor, rather than seeking re-election to City Council, and lost by a 70-30 margin to Kampe.

The three council winners were also there to celebrate: Robert Huitt, the only incumbent seeking re-election, got 22 percent of the vote; Cynthia Garfield led the pack with 23 percent, as of press time; and Nick Smith had 19 percent.

As supporters ate from a buffet spread of chips, salsa and quesadillas, neighbors greeted the winners with advice more than congratulations: “Get ready for the real work.”

The winners beat Andy Kubica and Alan Cohen, a former councilman, and also Jenny McAdams—the daughter of former mayor Carmelita Garcia—who held her own party just a few blocks away at Mando’s Restaurant, where flamenco dancers livened the mood. But hushed tones quickly took over the clamor of conversation and dance when the results showed McAdams with under 12 percent of the vote.

Pacific Grove voters also overwhelmingly rejected Measure P, a 5-percent admission tax on major events and facilities. Miller, along with fellow councilmembers Ken Cuneo and Rudy Fischer, had led the charge promoting Measure P as a way to generate much-needed revenue for P.G. But a power team of organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur International Marathon and the Cannery Row Foundation succeeded in their campaign against P, which failed by a margin of 24-76.