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Mayoral election in Stockton, California (2020)
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2020 Stockton elections |
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Election dates |
Filing deadline: December 6, 2019 |
Primary election: March 3, 2020 General election: November 3, 2020 |
Election stats |
Offices up: mayor |
Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
Election type: Nonpartisan |
Other municipal elections |
U.S. municipal elections, 2020 |
Kevin Lincoln defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs in the general election for mayor of Stockton, California, on November 3, 2020.[1] The general election was held after no candidate received a majority of the vote in the March 3 primary.[2] In the primary, Tubbs received 41.5% of the vote to Lincoln's 21.6%, followed by six other candidates. Mayoral elections in Stockton are nonpartisan, meaning that candidates’ party affiliations do not appear on the ballot. However, Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party at the time of the election and Tubbs was a member of the Democratic Party.[3]
Tubbs was first elected in 2016 when he defeated incumbent Anthony Silva (R) with 70.6% of the vote. Tubbs' campaign website said he was running for re-election to "continue revitalizing our neighborhoods, attract more good paying jobs, increase safety through community policing, and bring innovation into our civic life and local economy."[4] According to the Los Angeles Times, Tubbs was "the city’s first Black mayor and a favorite in progressive circles for championing ideas such as universal basic income."[5]
Lincoln, of biracial heritage, included proposals for a homeless policy initiative, public safety policy initiative, and civic engagement plan on his campaign website.[6][7] Lincoln received support from local police and firefighters unions.[5] His professional experience included serving in the Marines, working in private security, and pastoring a church.[3] According to the Associated Press, "[Lincoln] said Tubbs’ pursuit of national notoriety ... caused him to neglect his duties in Stockton, marginalizing many residents and contributing to 'a huge increase of distrust in our city.'"[8]
In 2019, Tubbs started a program called the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), which the Associated Press described as "a privately funded program that gave 125 people $500 a month for two years to spend however they wanted."[3] Tubbs' campaign website called the SEED program "the nation’s first-ever municipal level basic income pilot" and said it was intended to "demonstrate that, as many studies have shown, it is lack of resources rather than lack of will that prevents many families from climbing up the economic ladder."[9][10]
Ahead of the election, a local website called 209 Times ran stories critical of Tubbs. Motecuzoma Sanchez, a candidate who received 10.9% of the vote in the March 3 primary for mayor, was one of the founders of the site.[5] For post-election coverage of this aspect of the race, click here.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
California modified its absentee/mail-in and in-person voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Mail-in ballots were sent to all registered voters in the general election.
- In-person voting: Counties were authorized to consolidate precincts and defer opening voting centers until the third day before the election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
General election
General election for Mayor of Stockton
Kevin Lincoln II defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs in the general election for Mayor of Stockton on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan) | 56.4 | 57,276 |
Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan) | 43.6 | 44,206 |
Total votes: 101,482 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Stockton
The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Stockton on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan) | 41.5 | 21,016 | |
✔ | ![]() | Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 10,927 |
William Smith (Nonpartisan) | 11.2 | 5,679 | ||
Motecuzoma Sánchez (Nonpartisan) | 10.9 | 5,523 | ||
![]() | Shoua Lo (Nonpartisan) | 5.5 | 2,773 | |
Ralph White (Nonpartisan) | 4.3 | 2,179 | ||
Shelly Hollis (Nonpartisan) | 3.4 | 1,698 | ||
Andrew Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 1.3 | 674 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 136 |
Total votes: 50,605 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2020
Role of 209 Times in the race
After the election, the Los Angeles Times reported that the 209 Times had "run articles, often with no proof, alleging that Tubbs has misappropriated millions of dollars earmarked for city programs, lied about his involvement with an unpopular idea to use the county fairgrounds as part of a state-funded site for homeless people, and put personal interests ahead of his elected role."[5] Sanchez told the Los Angeles Times that the site had targeted Tubbs for four years prior to the election, after Tubbs voted against the reopening of a library that Sanchez wanted the city to reopen.[5] To view 209 Times articles tagged "Michael Tubbs," click here.
In a November 3 tweet replying to a question about the 209 Times, Tubbs said, "209Times is a political misinformation site that was created after l was elected in 2016 ... It is vile, Deceitful, divisive, and is contrary to our community values. And racist."[11] On November 19, Bloomberg CityLab quoted Tubbs saying of the 209 Times, "I think when you spend four years unchecked with no real counter, just blatantly making things up every single day, there’s an impact. ... I wish I had a crystal ball to foresee that, but I was too busy doing the work."[12] In February 2021, Tubbs told Comstock's Magazine that the "fatal flaw [in his campaign] was not recognizing or taking seriously the four-year disinformation campaign."[13] Tubbs later told NPR, "I thought that most people could read something and be like, oh, that's not true. Like, oh, if the mayor was under FBI investigation, I would hear that in the Stockton newspaper. Or if Mayor Tubbs was under investigation, I would read about it in The New York Times, the LA Times, BBC ... we thought that that, logically, would be enough to kind of counterbalance sort of the misinformation that was happening."[14]
Sanchez said of the 209 Times' coverage of Tubbs, "We looked at it like, ‘This guy is so full of himself, in his mind, he’s already sitting in the Oval Office' ... He’s so focused on building his political celebrity that he is neglecting the home base. So, while he’s off conquering new lands, we took the home base away from him.”[15] He said, "Our goal has never been to be fair. ... That’s not one of our requirements. We let the public know, point-blank, we are biased. We do have an agenda. Every time we suspect an enemy is slipping, they will be hit at any and every opportunity. Them and everyone affiliated with them.”[15] Sanchez also told NPR that the 209 Times had "a long track record of up to 20 elected officials that were not a benefit or an asset to the community that ... all lost their reelections."[16]
On January 18, 2021, the 209 Times published a response to a column in The Sacramento Bee written by Daniel Lopez, Tubbs' former public information officer. The 209 Times described Lopez's column as "chock full of 'disinformation' that can easily be disputed" and said it was "the second article the Sacramento Bee has ran in an attempt to inaccurately explain away why Michael Tubbs lost his election in such an overwhelming fashion." The 209 Times article also said, "The reason informed voters, both Democrats and Republicans, so vehemently rejected Tubbs was unlike other media, 209 Times supplied the public with factual documentation, not just the biased opinions of Tubbs’ own inner circle."[17]
In the months following the election, media outlets around the country analyzed the outcome of the race. A selection of articles is listed below:
- NPR's Invisibilia podcast:
Mayoral partisanship
Once mayors elected in 2020 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Mayoral elections were held in 29 of the 100 largest U.S. cities in 2020. Seven party changes took place as a result of these 29 elections. Five offices held by Republican incumbents and two offices held by Democratic incumbents changed partisan control.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, independent David Ortega won the open seat. Incumbent Jim Lane (R) was term-limited. In Irvine, California, Democrat Farrah Khan defeated incumbent Christina Shea (R). In San Diego, California, Democrat Todd Gloria won the open seat. The incumbent, Kevin Faulconer (R), was term-limited. In Stockton, California, Republican Kevin Lincoln II defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs (D). In Honolulu, Hawaii, independent Rick Blangiardi won the open seat. Democratic mayor Kirk Caldwell was term-limited. In El Paso, Texas, Democrat Oscar Leeser defeated incumbent Donald Margo (R). In Corpus Christi, Texas, nonpartisan Paulette Guajardo defeated incumbent Joe McComb (R).
What was at stake?
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Candidate survey
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About the city
- See also: Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in San Joaquin County, California. As of 2020, its population was 320,804.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
Since 1922, the city of Stockton has utilized a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[18]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
Demographic Data for Stockton, California | ||
---|---|---|
Stockton | California | |
Population | 320,804 | 39,538,223 |
Land area (sq mi) | 62 | 155,857 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White | 40.2% | 56.1% |
Black/African American | 11.5% | 5.7% |
Asian | 21% | 14.8% |
Native American | 0.7% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Other (single race) | N/A | 14.3% |
Multiple | 15.2% | 7.9% |
Hispanic/Latino | 43.5% | 39.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate | 77.8% | 83.9% |
College graduation rate | 18.6% | 34.7% |
Income | ||
Median household income | $58,393 | $78,672 |
Persons below poverty level | 16.8% | 12.6% |
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in California. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won California with 61.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 31.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, California voted Republican 53.33 percent of the time and Democratic 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, California voted Democratic all five times. In 2016, California had 55 electoral votes, which was the most of any state. The 55 electoral votes were 10.2 percent of all 538 available electoral votes and were 20.4 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in California. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[19][20]
In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 58 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 66 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 40.3 points. Clinton won 11 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 22 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 14 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 13 points. |
2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
1 | 39.63% | 57.31% | R+17.7 | 36.09% | 56.75% | R+20.7 | R |
2 | 64.68% | 30.51% | D+34.2 | 62.20% | 28.98% | D+33.2 | D |
3 | 42.41% | 54.46% | R+12.1 | 39.47% | 53.31% | R+13.8 | R |
4 | 63.16% | 33.86% | D+29.3 | 63.03% | 29.95% | D+33.1 | D |
5 | 41.27% | 55.92% | R+14.7 | 38.51% | 54.85% | R+16.3 | R |
6 | 38.59% | 59.09% | R+20.5 | 41.17% | 52.02% | R+10.9 | R |
7 | 67.59% | 29.61% | D+38 | 67.63% | 25.69% | D+41.9 | D |
8 | 51.72% | 45.62% | D+6.1 | 51.77% | 41.03% | D+10.7 | D |
9 | 60.56% | 37.52% | D+23 | 61.47% | 32.89% | D+28.6 | D |
10 | 73.76% | 23.28% | D+50.5 | 75.65% | 17.96% | D+57.7 | D |
11 | 60.96% | 36.87% | D+24.1 | 58.86% | 35.17% | D+23.7 | D |
12 | 45.19% | 52.50% | R+7.3 | 43.11% | 51.05% | R+7.9 | R |
13 | 64.23% | 33.88% | D+30.4 | 62.97% | 31.79% | D+31.2 | D |
14 | 68.80% | 28.72% | D+40.1 | 69.55% | 24.47% | D+45.1 | D |
15 | 86.82% | 9.56% | D+77.3 | 87.39% | 7.04% | D+80.4 | D |
16 | 57.74% | 40.10% | D+17.6 | 64.47% | 29.23% | D+35.2 | R |
17 | 87.07% | 9.36% | D+77.7 | 88.12% | 6.95% | D+81.2 | D |
18 | 86.89% | 10.23% | D+76.7 | 85.89% | 8.44% | D+77.5 | D |
19 | 78.94% | 18.38% | D+60.6 | 81.63% | 13.34% | D+68.3 | D |
20 | 75.74% | 22.15% | D+53.6 | 75.52% | 19.12% | D+56.4 | D |
21 | 55.61% | 42.03% | D+13.6 | 54.63% | 39.46% | D+15.2 | D |
22 | 71.43% | 26.31% | D+45.1 | 75.16% | 19.75% | D+55.4 | D |
23 | 43.46% | 54.71% | R+11.2 | 43.95% | 50.78% | R+6.8 | R |
24 | 72.16% | 24.96% | D+47.2 | 78.19% | 15.93% | D+62.3 | D |
25 | 72.40% | 25.26% | D+47.1 | 73.61% | 20.90% | D+52.7 | D |
26 | 41.15% | 56.68% | R+15.5 | 41.54% | 52.93% | R+11.4 | R |
27 | 76.36% | 21.54% | D+54.8 | 77.76% | 17.29% | D+60.5 | D |
28 | 66.64% | 30.77% | D+35.9 | 70.63% | 23.08% | D+47.6 | D |
29 | 69.95% | 26.66% | D+43.3 | 70.00% | 22.96% | D+47 | D |
30 | 66.99% | 30.86% | D+36.1 | 66.70% | 27.32% | D+39.4 | D |
31 | 61.98% | 36.21% | D+25.8 | 62.13% | 32.93% | D+29.2 | D |
32 | 56.20% | 41.81% | D+14.4 | 56.50% | 37.98% | D+18.5 | D |
33 | 41.80% | 55.51% | R+13.7 | 40.02% | 54.61% | R+14.6 | R |
34 | 33.96% | 63.85% | R+29.9 | 34.07% | 60.21% | R+26.1 | R |
35 | 47.82% | 49.42% | R+1.6 | 49.57% | 43.43% | D+6.1 | R |
36 | 48.79% | 48.48% | D+0.3 | 49.94% | 43.86% | D+6.1 | R |
37 | 60.97% | 36.28% | D+24.7 | 64.27% | 29.21% | D+35.1 | D |
38 | 46.73% | 50.84% | R+4.1 | 49.64% | 44.39% | D+5.2 | R |
39 | 73.75% | 23.67% | D+50.1 | 74.64% | 19.80% | D+54.8 | D |
40 | 53.14% | 44.72% | D+8.4 | 54.08% | 40.01% | D+14.1 | R |
41 | 59.74% | 37.72% | D+22 | 62.82% | 31.27% | D+31.5 | D |
42 | 44.98% | 52.93% | R+7.9 | 45.61% | 49.70% | R+4.1 | R |
43 | 67.35% | 29.62% | D+37.7 | 68.94% | 25.45% | D+43.5 | D |
44 | 52.37% | 45.51% | D+6.9 | 57.12% | 36.99% | D+20.1 | D |
45 | 63.46% | 34.12% | D+29.3 | 67.36% | 27.39% | D+40 | D |
46 | 73.73% | 23.65% | D+50.1 | 76.20% | 18.48% | D+57.7 | D |
47 | 71.49% | 26.54% | D+44.9 | 70.10% | 24.80% | D+45.3 | D |
48 | 64.08% | 33.44% | D+30.6 | 65.60% | 28.50% | D+37.1 | D |
49 | 64.69% | 33.26% | D+31.4 | 67.57% | 27.17% | D+40.4 | D |
50 | 70.79% | 26.51% | D+44.3 | 76.72% | 18.33% | D+58.4 | D |
51 | 83.48% | 13.50% | D+70 | 84.05% | 10.19% | D+73.9 | D |
52 | 65.01% | 32.92% | D+32.1 | 65.78% | 28.71% | D+37.1 | D |
53 | 84.64% | 12.59% | D+72 | 84.83% | 9.63% | D+75.2 | D |
54 | 83.62% | 13.88% | D+69.7 | 85.15% | 10.12% | D+75 | D |
55 | 45.77% | 52.23% | R+6.5 | 49.92% | 44.61% | D+5.3 | R |
56 | 62.14% | 36.26% | D+25.9 | 64.21% | 31.24% | D+33 | D |
57 | 63.71% | 34.01% | D+29.7 | 65.92% | 28.39% | D+37.5 | D |
58 | 70.24% | 27.80% | D+42.4 | 72.54% | 22.26% | D+50.3 | D |
59 | 93.24% | 5.19% | D+88 | 90.70% | 5.09% | D+85.6 | D |
60 | 51.32% | 46.31% | D+5 | 52.48% | 41.97% | D+10.5 | D |
61 | 63.43% | 34.55% | D+28.9 | 62.47% | 31.62% | D+30.9 | D |
62 | 80.81% | 17.00% | D+63.8 | 82.05% | 13.06% | D+69 | D |
63 | 76.06% | 21.73% | D+54.3 | 77.35% | 17.38% | D+60 | D |
64 | 88.74% | 9.98% | D+78.8 | 86.21% | 9.61% | D+76.6 | D |
65 | 51.90% | 45.68% | D+6.2 | 56.73% | 37.28% | D+19.4 | D |
66 | 54.18% | 43.24% | D+10.9 | 59.97% | 33.60% | D+26.4 | D |
67 | 39.61% | 58.33% | R+18.7 | 38.89% | 55.94% | R+17.1 | R |
68 | 42.55% | 55.12% | R+12.6 | 49.42% | 44.58% | D+4.8 | R |
69 | 67.37% | 30.30% | D+37.1 | 71.94% | 22.33% | D+49.6 | D |
70 | 67.38% | 29.93% | D+37.5 | 68.13% | 25.09% | D+43 | D |
71 | 38.47% | 59.51% | R+21 | 38.19% | 56.26% | R+18.1 | R |
72 | 46.71% | 51.06% | R+4.4 | 51.40% | 43.13% | D+8.3 | R |
73 | 38.68% | 59.36% | R+20.7 | 43.89% | 50.38% | R+6.5 | R |
74 | 45.14% | 52.42% | R+7.3 | 50.71% | 43.29% | D+7.4 | R |
75 | 39.42% | 58.50% | R+19.1 | 43.22% | 50.68% | R+7.5 | R |
76 | 48.76% | 49.04% | R+0.3 | 53.11% | 40.38% | D+12.7 | R |
77 | 48.25% | 49.83% | R+1.6 | 55.16% | 38.94% | D+16.2 | R |
78 | 63.15% | 34.08% | D+29.1 | 67.48% | 25.85% | D+41.6 | D |
79 | 61.21% | 36.91% | D+24.3 | 64.24% | 30.04% | D+34.2 | D |
80 | 69.47% | 28.67% | D+40.8 | 73.15% | 21.34% | D+51.8 | D |
Total | 60.35% | 37.19% | D+23.2 | 62.25% | 31.89% | D+30.4 | - |
Source: Daily Kos |
See also
Stockton, California | California | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ CBS Sacramento, "Election Update: Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs Concedes To Kevin Lincoln," November 17, 2020
- ↑ City of Stockton, "Elections," accessed February 7, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 AP News, "Stockton mayor who pushed guaranteed income isn’t reelected," November 18, 2020
- ↑ Michael Tubbs 2020 campaign website, "Why I'm running," accessed November 24, 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Los Angeles Times, "Rising Democratic star Michael Tubbs risks reelection defeat, thanks in part to a Stockton blog," November 6, 2020
- ↑ CapRadio, "Stockton Mayor Micheal Tubbs Faces Political Newcomer Kevin Lincoln In Runoff," October 26, 2020
- ↑ Kevin Lincoln 2020 campaign website, "On the issues," accessed November 24, 2020
- ↑ AP News, "Star Stockton mayor’s reelection wavers, but he’s confident," November 6, 2020
- ↑ Michael Tubbs 2020 campaign website, "About Michael," accessed November 30, 2020
- ↑ Michael Tubbs 2020 campaign website, "Economic Development," accessed November 30, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Michael Tubbs on November 3, 2020," accessed July 16, 2021
- ↑ Bloomberg CityLab, "Rising Star Mayor Who Championed Guaranteed Income Loses Hometown Race," November 19, 2020
- ↑ Comstock's Magazine, "Career Detour," February 8, 2021
- ↑ NPR, "The Chaos Machine: An Endless Hole," April 29, 2021
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 GEN, "The Plot to Take Down Michael Tubbs," December 9, 2020
- ↑ NPR, "Site That Traffics In Misinformation Fills Void Left By Struggling Newspaper," January 11, 2021
- ↑ 209 Times, "Sac Bee Publishes Disinformation By Tubbs’ Unemployed Assistant, Accusing 209 Times of 'Disinformation,'" January 18, 2021
- ↑ City of Stockton, "Government," accessed September 5, 2014
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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