Fittingly, in a town known for having more restaurants per capita than any other small city in America, many Carmel City Council candidates held their election watch parties at local eateries with the exception of Mayor Dave Potter and challenger Jeff Baron, who retreated to the comfort of their homes to watch the numbers roll in on election night, Nov. 5.
Foreshadowing, perhaps.
Dale Byrne, the only mayoral candidate to host a gathering, met with supporters at Anton & Michel restaurant on Mission Street and 7th Avenue.
Guests, many affiliated with Carmel Cares, began arriving around 7:30pm. Conversations swirled about power outages possibly affecting polling stations in P.G. and Monterey (they did not), while others focused on the national results as battleground states were called. To calm their nerves – and add to the celebration – many sipped “Dale-tinis,” apple-cosmopolitan martinis crafted especially for the occasion.
While Potter ran unopposed in the last election, this year he faced two challengers. He had hoped to complete one last term.
Baron, a current midterm councilmember frustrated with the pace of problem-solving, advocated for practical changes like introducing street addresses. Byrne, though inexperienced in politics, brought experience working with the city through Carmel Cares, a nonprofit dedicated to beautifying the town.
Byrne and his wife Margaret entered the night energized and excited, sitting in the corner with their two dogs, greeting people as they walked in.
“I’m feeling pretty darn hopeful,” Byrne says.
“I think he’s gonna win, I believe we’re in good shape,” adds Margaret.
As Byrne checks the initial numbers, he announces to a crowd they’re in the lead, followed by a roaring cheer.
Early results show Byrne leading with 572 votes, or 39 percent; Baron, in second, had 498 votes, or 34 percent, as of 8:30pm Tuesday; and Potter was trailing with just 395 votes, 27 percent. (The numbers remained unchanged as of 8am Wednesday, Nov. 6.)
The issues top of mind are affordable housing, a police station in need of a major tune-up, a vacancy tax, and of course, street addresses. Not to mention, fixing up the street itself.
Nearby at Little Napoli, council candidate Hans Buder is hosting his own party, taking the lead followed by Bob Delves for two new city council seats.
“We met him at a meet and greet, and saw him at a city council meeting,” says resident Mollie Nelson. “He’s smart. We were impressed by his understanding of the issues, how articulate he was, and that he brings a nice, friendly dynamic to the conversation.”
Buder, chair of the Housing Authority for the County of Monterey has pushed to create access to housing for low-income families.
Delves, a former software CEO, spent the last four years on the Carmel Planning Commission.
“It’s humbling, you feel the weight of the responsibility sitting in,” Buder says.
He chuckles, adding what’s next. “Every sidewalk I look at… ”