Editor’s note: This article was updated to include how the supervisors voted in each round.
ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. — The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has decided to appoint Hayward City Council member Elisa Márquez to the District 2 seat on the board.
The supervisors made the decision unanimously after three rounds of voting, during which Ariana Casanova, a political organizer endorsed by the late 2nd District Supervisor Richard Valle’s family; Harris Mojadedi, Area 3 trustee on the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District board of trustees; and Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Keng were eliminated. Casanova was eliminated in the first round, Mojadedi in the second and Keng in the third.
During the first two rounds, each supervisor was able to select two candidates. In the first two rounds, 1st District Supervisor David Haubert picked Márquez and Mojadedi, 3rd District Supervisor Lena Tam picked Keng and Mojadedi and 5th District Supervisor Keith Carson picked Márquez and Keng. Fourth District Supervisor Nate Miley picked Casanova and Márquez in the first round and Márquez and Keng in the second round.
In the final round, Haubert, Carson and Miley picked Márquez and Tam picked Keng.
The final stamp of approval came after almost three hours of public comment, during which most of the current and former elected officials in the area endorsed Márquez and Keng. Casanova received the most support from the unincorporated area and from labor leaders.
Márquez is set to be sworn in at the supervisors’ next meeting on Tuesday, April 4.
The 2nd District seat became vacant after Valle’s death last month. Seven people applied to fill the seat, of which five were selected. Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas dropped out before the candidate interviews on Tuesday and endorsed Márquez.
Márquez is a lifelong Hayward resident and got her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cal State East Bay. Márquez served on various Hayward commissions and committees before being appointed to the Hayward City Council in 2014.
