Election notebook: New story for Coursey

10:35 p.m.: His face isn’t new but it beamed as John Sawyer, the former two-term Santa Rosa city councilman and unsuccessful candidate for Sonoma Valley supervisor, coaxed the election returns on the wall of the city firefighters’ hall to update.

Though frustrated that no new returns were appearing, Sawyer liked what he saw: The early returns had him where he needed to be among the eight candidates, in the top three.

His read: Santa Rosa voters want “a balance of new faces on the council, and experience.”

9:57 p.m.: A new story is beginning in the life of Chris Coursey, so said the early election returns displayed at Carmen’s Burger Bar a couple of hours into the Santa Rosa City Council candidate’s campaign party.

With the absentee ballots showing Coursey leading the pack, he told the crowd he has learned and un-learned and re-learned as he transitioned from being a career newspaper reporter to a columnist to a SMART rail spokesman to a candidate for City Council.

Having covered his first election in 1976 as a reporter in Greeley, Colo., Coursey said that to be making the news as a candidate this time “is definitely a different feeling.

“Putting yourself out there is not an easy thing to do,” he said, adding that it’s been astounding to have so many friends and strangers promote his election because “they care about this city and for some reason they have faith in me.”

The ex-journalist and commuter-train advocate said that on Wednesday, “I guess I’ll wake up feeling like I’m a councilman.”

8:30 p.m.: A third time running for north county supervisor does have its charms, Deb Fudge said above the conversation at her campaign party at Glenda and Steve Castelli’s country home near Windsor.

Fudge said there were bonuses to walking precincts for the third time. “I would go to the door having the feeling, ‘I know this person!’”

Among the faces at her party on the Castelli patio were Supervisor Shirlee Zane and retired Supervisor Mike Reilly.

Fudge said this campaign against Jim Gore was much different than the first two, opposite Paul Kelley and then Mike McGuire.

She fought cancer through that first run, not talking about it because she didn’t want to evoke sympathy or appear weak, she said.

As for the campaign vs. McGuire: “Nobody could beat Mike!” Fudge said.

She added, before going to check on the returns, “This, I would say, is my first normal campaign.”

7:55 p.m.: Tom Schwedhelm was setting up for his Election Night party and reflecting on his retirement from the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Overhearing as she passed by at the South E Street hall of Local 1401 of the city firefighters’ union, his wife’ Jackie, declared, “He was retired for 41 days!”

Then began the former police chief’s run for the City Council. Schwedhelm said he did a fair amount of walking the streets through his 31 years with the department, but he has much enjoyed strolling the neighborhoods, knocking on doors and talking with residents about their concerns.

He figures he’d spent about 20 minutes hearing out a Montgomery Village woman about dog licenses when she announced, “Oh, by the way, I already voted for you.”

7:19 p.m.: A game-show feel rocked the busy crossroads at the Central Windsor exit to Highway 101 shortly before the polls closed.

Horns honked and calls of “Yoo-hoo” split the air as friendly competitors stood on the sidewalk and shimmied large campaign signs for supervisorial candidates Deb Fudge and Jim Gore and a gaggle of Windsor Town Council hopefuls.

Gore, as visible as a Caltrans worker in his orange T-shirt, said above the spirited din that he’s much more relaxed this time than during the primary election.

“After the primary, I didn’t sleep for three days,” he said, “but I’m sleeping real well now.”

The game was on after the spring election. But now the voters have dealt, and all that remains is the rolling of the cards.

Gore said he woke up Tuesday morning to hear his wife, Elizabeth, a fan of Les Miserables, serenading him with “One More Day.”