Rebecca Hermosillo claims win in race for District 1 Sonoma County supervisor

Rebecca Hermosillo woke up Wednesday with a mixture of shock and excitement.

As supervisor-elect for the 1st District, the daughter of Mexican immigrants is poised to make Sonoma County history, becoming the first Latina elected to the Board of Supervisors.

With a commanding lead in early returns Tuesday, Hermosillo, a longtime district aide for Congressman Mike Thompson, claimed a landslide victory in her race over retired contractor Jon Mathieu.

A front-runner throughout the campaign, which Mathieu entered only four months ago, Hermosillo had 78.12% of the vote to his 21.88% in the latest results available Wednesday.

“I am not shocked that I won, but just in awe that we made history,” Hermosillo said. “I am part of history and it’s overwhelming.”

The latest results included 15,939 votes in the 1st District, where there are 65,758 registered voters.

Hermosillo, 52, who grew up on the Leveroni Dairy in Sonoma, and raised her children as a single mom, watched the early results come in Tuesday night from a watch party at Kunde Family Winery. The diverse array of people gathered there — supporters spanning a wide range of ages, professions and ethnic backgrounds — were her “beacon of hope” Hermosillo said.

“Diversity and inclusivity mean so much to me,” Hermosillo said. “And last night, that was a picture.”

When the first results from the county elections office went up after 8 p.m., Hermosillo said her first instinct was to hug her mother, Maria, who wore a gray sweater with the word “Love” emblazoned across the front.

The two wrapped each other in a celebratory embrace.

“I am just immensely thankful for everyone’s support and votes,” Hermosillo said Tuesday night. “And regardless of if they voted for me, I look forward to representing them well come January and working hard for the district.”

The race was Hermosillo’s first for public office, after a decade working for Thompson, including the last three and a half years as his senior district representative.

Prior to joining Thompson’s team, she worked as executive director of the Valley of the Moon Teen Center, which offers programs and mentoring for Sonoma Valley teenagers.

She plied her political experience and name recognition into a big advantage on the campaign trail, landing nearly all of the big endorsements, including all five members of the Board of Supervisors, all of the Sonoma City Council, Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram, District Attorney Carla Rodriguez and others.

The district has been represented since 2011 by Susan Gorin, who opted not to run for a fourth term.

Sonoma County’s 1st District includes 97,853 residents and encompasses Kenwood, Agua Caliente, Glen Ellen, Boyes Hot Springs, Schellville and the city of Sonoma, as well as Santa Rosa’s Bennett Valley, Rincon Valley and Oakmont neighborhoods.

The district is facing widespread infrastructure needs, depleted groundwater, rising demand for affordable housing and an evolving discussion about annexing some unincorporated areas, including The Springs, into the city of Sonoma.

A product of the district’s public schools — she attended Sassarini Elementary, Altimira Middle, and Sonoma Valley High before going on to Santa Rosa Junior College and Empire College — Hermosillo, is fluent in Spanish and has campaigned on the importance of representation for Latino residents.

She said she plans to continue fostering that representation and bolstering diversity in her work as supervisor through staffing, appointments and constituent engagement.

Her father, who came to the U.S. first in 1947 through the Bracero farmworker program, worked for decades as a milker on the Leveroni Dairy and later with his wife Maria opened Mi Tienda, Sonoma County’s first Mexican market and restaurant along Sonoma Highway in The Springs.

Hermosillo, the youngest of seven siblings, still lives in The Springs in a home she shares with her mother.

Mathieu, who was eating dinner when the initial results posted, said Tuesday was the first “peaceful” day since launching his campaign four months ago.

“I’m proud of what we did, I’m just at peace with the world right now,” Mathieu said before Hermosillo announced victory. “I really feel positive.”

Reached by phone for a second time after Hermosillo claimed victory, Mathieu had no comment.

With her term not starting until January, Hermosillo said she will continue to work for Thompson for the rest of the year while preparing for her role as county supervisor. The preparation will include meeting with county department heads and fellow board members to get “brought up to speed,” she said.

On Wednesday, Hermosillo said she was celebrating the election with close friends and planned to spend Thursday with her mom. The two haven’t had much quality time since she launched her campaign last year, Hermosillo said.

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