Two time incumbent candidate Arnold had everything possible going for her into her re-election campaign including a “newcomer” opponent who came within 2% of winning. Arnold in most ways “lost”. In the one party political milieu of Marin she suffered a real slap in the face by the District 5 electorate.
Her fellow Supervisors will quickly recognize Arnold as being the wounded wildebeest at the back of the herd with the lions circling. Between Arnold’s unpopular dirty campaign tactics, her free falling popularity within her electorate and direct criticism of her competence by the Marin Grand Jury she effectively is political toast, make that burned toast no matter how much butter the IJ slathers on it.
Out of district donors paid for Arnold’s vote fair and square. They will demand and get their favored treatment at the County level. After all, the special interests paid for it.
Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Novato will be under merciless pressure for intense, increased development with little pushback from Arnold while she genuflects to the State’s unelected social engineering regulatory alphabet agencies.
Within District 5, Arnold is probably mortally wounded. On a level playing field odds are she would have lost without the massive support of the print media. The last thing Arnold needs is continued focus on her campaign behavior and voting record which is not in sync and mostly contrary to the preferences of her constituents who at times during the election campaign felt like spectators to a political shouting match in which only one point of view is allowed to shout.
Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Judy Arnold is not welcome to participate in local policy debates. She abandoned that option when District 5 residents’ preferences conflicted with her County first preferences in the recent District 5 affordable housing debate. Estranged from half or more of her electorate is a charitable description of her situation.
Ignoring the ballot count District 5 and Arnold both lost the election. If Arnold runs again most likely there won’t be a serious opponent. The IJ made sure of that by its recent behavior. The IJ apparently prefers anointing to debating. So much for enabling healthy political debate in a grass roots democracy.
The Independent Journal and Novato Advance abdicated any journalistic social responsibility to the electorate by shutting out the challenger’s presence lifting it only to criticize. This, in a District where there was not even a challenger in the previous race which elicited moans and groans from the print media about the low level of public interest in local elections.
The sycophantic Editor of the Independent Journal, Robert Sterling, the cynically selective IJ Opinion Page Editor Brad Breithaupt, and the Novato Advance’s totally biased Editor Joe Wolfcale are most likely responsible for the re-election of Judy Arnold and the creation of a new high point in cynicism towards the print media in District 5. Expect hosannas from them every time Arnold takes a breath.
Toni Shroyer lost the ballot count and District 5 lost its relevance as a political entity of consequence in Marin County politics. For Novato again it’s back to the “back of the bus” for another four years.
