Councilman Michael Tubbs will become the youngest and first African-American mayor in Stockton’s history, having defeated sitting mayor Anthony Silva with 70 percent of the vote on Tuesday. The 26 year-old Stanford grad thanked the community for believing in him and vowed to pursue an aggressive agenda aimed at curbing crime and boosting economic development in the city.
Silva had a steep hill to climb. He was already facing various controversies when he was arrested for allegedly leading and secretly videotaping a strip poker game with a group of teens at a youth camp he runs. Tubbs is no stranger to legal troubles either, but he was looking pristine in comparison. Then, just before the election, he landed an unprecedented endorsement from President Barack Obama.
Tubbs’ seat on the city council has been won by Jesus Andrade. Andrade’s opponent, Sam Fant, will stand trial for felony conspiracy and election fraud, a judge ruled just before the election. Appointed incumbent Dan Wright also won over challenger Steve Colangelo in District 2, while Michael Blower lost to challenger Susan Lenz in District 4.