Nov. 6 Daily Briefing: Latest local election results, council to discuss reparations, and more

Welcome to Wednesday, everyone, and thank you to all who voted. While your particular candidate or ballot measure may not have been swept to victory Tuesday evening — or races you care about may be too close to call — you can take some solace in the fact you participated. We’d like to offer our gratitude to the poll workers, elections officials, and others who made the local elections run so smoothly. We’ll do most of this all over again in just two years!

🎶 Setting the mood: “I Wish You Peace” by The Eagles

LEADING OFF

Soto holds lead in race for District 4 council seat

Naomi Soto holds the lead in the closely watched race for the District 4 seat on the Palm Springs City Council, according to the latest results released by Riverside County.

Driving the news: As of the latest results Wednesday morning, Soto has 1,210 votes to Joe Jackson’s 1,108, giving her a 30% to 27% lead. David Rios is in third with 22% of the vote, followed by Ernest Ceceña at 13% and Anna Nevenich at 8%.

• In District 5, former city manager David Ready ran unopposed, winning a seat automatically.

State races: In contests involving two current City Council members seeking higher office, the latest vote count shows:

• Christy Holstege and incumbent Assemblymember Greg Wallis in a 50-50 tie in a rematch for the State Assembly District 47 seat. As of 9:42 a.m., Holstege has received 77,782 votes to Wallis’s 76,642. In 2022, Wallis won the seat by only 85 votes.
  
  
• In the race for the newly-created State Senate District 19 seat, Lisa Middleton trails State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh. Bogh is leading 53% to 47% with 131,553 votes compared to Middleton’s 116,018.

Other key races: The Palm Springs Unified School District bond is passing 76% to 24%; Ron Oden leads in his effort to retain the seat that represents Palm Springs on the Desert Community College District Board of Directors; and Greg Rodriguez is ahead of two opponents in an effort to win the seat on the Desert Healthcare District Board in the zone that serves Palm Springs.

• In a nationally important U.S. House race, Democrat Will Rollins and Republican Ken Calvert are essentially tied in their rematch for the District 41 seat.

What’s next: Although the initial count from Election Night is complete, the results are still provisional with approximately 355,000 ballots outstanding, including 320,000 mail-in votes and 35,000 conditional voter registration ballots. Additionally, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day have until Nov. 12 to be received and processed.

• The county has 30 days to certify results and get them to the state. The state must certify results by Dec. 13.

Click here for our complete story that will be updated with the latest results 

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BRIEFLY

🗳️ Ballot measures winning approval

Two ballot measures with significance to Palm Springs appeared to be passing with ease as the county released its latest ballot count early this morning.

• City voters were being asked to remove the 2037 sunset date on a 1% sales tax increase originally approved in 2011 — Measure J. As of the last released numbers, the measure was passing by a margin of 72% to 28%.
  
  
• Measure AA, which asked voters to approve a new lease with Tenet Healthcare that would eventually see the sale of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs to the healthcare company, was winning overwhelmingly, 71.5% to 28.5%.
  
  
• Details: The ballot measure were just two of multiple items on city voters’ ballots. You can check the the latest Riverside County tally at this website. 

🏛️ Council schedules closed session for Section 14 discussion

The Palm Springs City Council will meet in a special closed session Thursday morning to discuss reparations for Section 14 residents and their descendants, it was announced Tuesday.   

• The meeting, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers (see the posted agenda here), is believed to be one the last closed session needed before the city and members of an organization called Section 14 Survivors reach an agreement on reparations. A public meeting on the issue is expected to follow on Nov. 14.
  
  
• Community members have been asking for the council to fulfill long-standing promises of restitution for the forced removal and burning of homes in Section 14, a part of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation where many Black and Hispanic residents lived decades ago.
  
  
• Bottom line: The city had earlier proposed a settlement offer for a claim filed by residents that included cash payments totaling $4.3 million, as well as housing assistance, a healing or cultural center, an art installation, and renaming a community park. That offer was rejected.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Pet Bereavement Group
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Animal Shelter
Sammy’s Circle is a safe place to share our grief and to share stories of our beloved pets who have passed. It’s a welcoming place for anyone who has lost a beloved animal.

Rotary
12 p.m. | Hilton Palm Springs
One hour Luncheon gathering with weekly changing programs.

‘Next to Normal’ Preview
2 p.m. and 7 p.m. | Coachella Valley Repertory
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, this heartbreaking and moving musical follows a family’s struggle with depression and mental health through powerful songs, comedic and chaotic settings, and prevailing characters. ($65)

Paws & Pours at TRIO
4 p.m. | Trio Restaurant
This pet-friendly happy hour benefits Palm Springs Animal Shelter and will be tons of fun for you and your fur baby!

First Wednesday Art Walk 
5 p.m. | Backstreet Art District
Come join us for our next art walk from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kee Gallery in the historic Backstreet Art District. 

Mod Squad Variety Show
5 p.m. | Cultural Center
Enjoy an evening of musical hijinks and hilarity with your award-winning hosts. Enjoy fun and unique arrangements of Mid-Century Pop Music, Rat Pack-era music, classic oldies and a whole lot more. ($10)

Library Board
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The Board meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall in The Large Conference Room. Meetings are open to the public. Presentation handouts are on file and available to the public at the Library. An agenda can be found here.

Historic Site Preservation Board
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
This Board identifies, nominates, and recommends potential historic sites and districts to the City Council, while fostering public awareness and appreciation of the city’s rich cultural and architectural heritage.

OutBook Book Club
6 p.m. | Palm Springs Library
OutBook meets on the first Wednesday of the month for a book discussion. Selections are chosen by group members and highlight a mix of new LGBTQ+ releases and influential classics.

Agua Caliente Speaker Series
6 p.m. | Cultural Museum
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians tribal members discuss creating and implementing the new Palm Springs Unified School District curriculum about their tribe in this talk titled “Knowledge: Knowing and Sharing: Contemporary Curriculum.” ($15-$20)

SAVE THE DATE

• Noir Con at the Cultural Center from Thursday through Sunday.
  
  
• Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
  
  
• Four Seasons Community Garage Sale on Sunday.
  
  
• ‘Loot’ by Desert Ensemble Theatre starting Nov. 15.
  
  
• ‘Hillary and Clinton’ by Dezart Performs starting Nov. 15. 
  
  
• “Studio One, Forever” with Q & A following at The Church of St Paul in the Desert on Nov. 16.
  
  
• ‘When the Band Played On: A conversation with Michael G. Lee and Hank Plante’ on Nov. 16.
  
  
• Palm Springs Pickleball Tournament on Nov. 16.

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AND FINALLY …

🐾 Each week, The Post partners with a local animal shelter to feature one or more of the many animal companions ready for a new home in our community. 

Today we invite you to meet Jorge, a 6-month-old Terrier male.

• Staff at the shelter say Jorge is good with some dogs, but prefers to be around females.

If you’re interested: You can visit the shelter at 4575 E. Mesquite Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on all days except for Mondays (open for intake only) and Thursdays (1 p.m. until 7 p.m.). You can always call the shelter at (760) 416-5718.

Make sure to check out all the other pets at the shelter here. And, you can get a jump start on adoption by completing the form here.