Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday election results in Sonoma, Napa counties

There were some clear victories and celebrations as election results trickled in Tuesday night in Sonoma and Napa counties.

By 11:23 p.m. Tuesday, the posted results showed 71,843 ballots counted in Sonoma County, which has 302,827 registered voters. That equated to a marginal 23.7% turnout.

The numbers were similarly abysmal by 11:17 p.m. in Napa County where just 15,304 ballots were counted of 83,555 registered voters. A diminutive 18.3% turnout.

While ballot counting resumes Wednesday, here are the key takeaways so far from the 2024 primary election:

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

“I feel that today we made history,” Rebecca Hermosillo said after winning the District 1 supervisor seat.

Hermosillo had 78.6% of the vote compared to her candidate, retired contractor Jon Mathieu, who had 21.4% in the latest results available Tuesday.

Supervisor Chris Coursey was cruising to a second term Tuesday, with returns showing a wide lead over Omar Medina in the race for 3rd District supervisor.

Coursey had 72.7% of vote in the latest results late Tuesday. Medina, board president of Santa Rosa City Schools, had 27.3%.

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was reelected to a third term representing Sonoma County’s 5th district, which includes much of west county.

Early returns showed her earning 11,019 votes, including mail-in ballots returned by Monday and in-person ballots cast Tuesday.

Napa County Board of Supervisors

Liz Alessio holds a wide margin in the race for a District 2 seat.

According to the final pool of results released, at 11:17 p.m., and with about 20% of ballots counted, Alessio had 2,639 votes compared with challenger Doris Gentry's 816 votes.

Incumbent Supervisor Belia Ramos leads Mariam Aboudamous in the race to retain her District 5 seat.

Ramos has 1,049 votes to Aboudamous’ 787 votes, as of the latest results Tuesday.

In what was expected to be a close contest, Amber Manfree jumped to a modest early advantage over Pete Mott in the Napa County Board of Supervisors District 4 race.

In the night’s third and final official tally,, Manfree had 1,581 votes to Mott’s 1,420.

Measure H

The half-cent tax, on Sonoma County ballots as Measure H, is expected to generate about $62 million annually to address staffing and other critical needs in 29 fire agencies across Sonoma County.

It led with about 61% of the vote.

California Assembly District 2

The last poll of results Tuesday night showed Santa Rosa City Council member Chris Rogers with a slim lead over his Democrat opponents in the hotly contested primary, though many ballots across the district had yet to be counted.

Though, the race appeared too close to call Tuesday night.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Rogers led with 20.4% of the vote over California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks, who had 19.2% in what for now is a race for second place in the crowded seven candidate field.

Sonoma County Superior Court

Defense attorney Kristine Burk established a wide lead Tuesday in early returns over rival Beki Berrey, a family law attorney, in their race for one of three open positions on the Sonoma County Superior Court bench.

The final round of results, posted just after 11 p.m., include 58,925 votes — 41,299 for Burk and 17,626 for Berrey.

Ken English, a Sonoma County Superior Court commissioner, led defense attorney Omar Figueroa in the race for one of three vacant judicial positions on the Sonoma County bench.

As of 11:30 p.m., with 60,146 votes counted, English was leading the contest with 68.8% of the vote to Figueroa’s 31.2%. English had 41,404 votes and Figueroa had 18,742 votes.

With no opponent in his way, Paul Lozada, a Sonoma County Superior Court commissioner secured Tuesday one of three open positions on the Sonoma County bench.

What’s next?

Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tueter estimated more than half of the submitted ballots are left to count. If that’s not the case, he said, turnout is even lower than expected.

Counting will resume Friday.