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Greens Win 5 Races, Including Majority on Bay Area Council

Greens captured wins in five of five local elections Tuesday night - including one in a Bay Area city where members of the Green Party of California now hold a majority on the city council.

Green Pam Hartwell-Herrero was the top vote-getter in Fairfax Town Council race, and joins Greens Larry Bragman and Lew Tremaine already on the council. It's the third time Greens have held the majority on a city council in California - Arcata (1996-1998) and Sebastopol (2000-2006) have also had Green majorities.

Other Green Party victors Tuesday included: Curtis Robinson, leading vote-getter for the Marin County Board of Education; Dana Silvernale, school board in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District; Jim Harvey and Paul Perkovic, Montara Water and Sanitary District in San Mateo County.

Hartwell-Herrero's victory in Fairfax mirrors other progressive wins in Marin County and the region, including Richmond where Gayle McLaughlin is the elected mayor. Greens hold at least 39 elected and appointed posts in the state, including the offices of Supervisor in San Francisco, mayor in Richmond, Marina City and Sebastopol and numerous city council and education boards.

In other races of note to the GPCA, Green Jeremy Cloward finished third in the 10th Congressional District special election, beating all but the democratic and republican candidates.

"I am honored and humbled to be a part of the new establishment of local government where we understand the real issues facing our society and environment, and are not afraid to act," said Fairfax Town Council winner Hartwell-Herrero. "We will continue to represent the Green Party as a model of sustainability leadership and encourage its spread throughout the country."