James Gore wins 3rd term on Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

Voters have reelected Supervisor James Gore to a third term representing Sonoma County’s 4th District.

Early results show Gore with a dominant lead over Richard “Andy” Springer in the race for the county’s 4th District supervisor seat.

Gore had 76.2% of the vote to 23.8% for Springer, with 10,205 votes counted, including mail-in ballots and in-person returns.

The 4th District has 59,725 voters, according to Deva Proto, the county’s registrar of voters, who projected turnout of about 50% in the state primary.

Gore, 44, was jubilant Tuesday.

“It’s different than eight years ago or even four years ago when we were in the middle of fires,” Gore said as results came in. “Our community has been through so much together and there’s so much more to do. I have to do politics, I have to run for election to do this work, but we do it for public service.”

He celebrated with family, friends and supporters at The Elephant in The Room in Healdsburg. Cheers and laughter were heard over the sounds of a blues band as Gore spoke on the phone with The Press Democrat.

Gore, who is chair of the Board of Supervisors, said he was eager to return his full focus to a host of pressing county issues, including drought resiliency, fire risk reduction and county budget hearings.

“I want other people to be able to look back and say they led change in their community and I want to be somebody who empowers that,” Gore said.

Springer declined comment and sent a written statement before election results were posted.

Springer said his campaign and its supporters had “energized a much needed conversation about prioritizing our safety, fixing our failing economy, protecting our rights to property and preventing the perpetuated problem on our streets.”

The 4th District spans much of northeastern Sonoma County including Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor, the Alexander and Dry Creek valleys, and parts of northern Santa Rosa

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.