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Council Member and Vice Mayor Gary Cloutier has been elected
mayor of Vallejo
according to the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office on Tuesday.
His victory, with only four votes ahead his opponent Osby
Davis, was announced shortly after his public apology on Tuesday morning.
"I made a mistake that I deeply regret… I had too much to drink. ... I
make no excuses, and I accept full responsibility for my actions. I have
embarrassed myself, concerned my colleagues and disappointed my supporters. I
deeply regret my actions, and apologize to the people I've let down, especially
those who have worked so hard on my campaign. I want you to know this will not happen again. In the coming days, weeks
and months, I promise to work hard to restore any confidence that may have been
lost as a result of this incident," Cloutier said outside Vallejo City Hall, according to the San
Francisco Chronicle.
Cloutier was arrested early Sunday morning after officers found him sitting
alone in the driver’s seat of a friend’s Cadillac in Palm Springs. Palm Spring Sgt. Mitch Spike
said that he was clearly under alcohol influence and was pulling out of his
parking spot when being stopped. Someone who saw Courtier staggering out of Hunters
bar and nightclub announced police. His Campaign manager Pam Keith said he had
no intention to drive the Cadillac. However, Cloutier was not charged with an
attempted DUI.
Cloutier had stayed inside the police office for five hours until he sobered
up.
Cloutier gained the election with a total of 5,722 votes, while Davis earned 5,718 votes,
according to results from the November 6 election. He was euphoric by the
results, he said on a phone interview. He also added that he would not declare
victory before the election is certified. If so, Cloutier becomes the first
openly gay mayor in the Bay Area.
Real estate attorney, Davis,
62, who aimed to become to first African American mayor to rule the city, said
the same day that he would ask for a recount due to slight difference between
him and Courtier.
Davis did
not criticize his opponent’s incident and said that people should “remember the
good things that he’s done and give him the benefit of the doubt encountered
courtier’s incident in good terms. An arrest does not equal guilt.”
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