Gatti loses council seat
Campus Times
March 7, 2003
After 21 years on the city council, Patrick Gatti lost his bid for re-election
to newcomer Steven Johnson.
"The voters were in the mindset to make an alternate choice,"
Gatti said.
Mayor Jon Blickenstaff was re-elected, defeating challenger Jean Hefler.
Incumbent Robert Rodriguez held onto his council seat, receiving more than
24 percent of the vote.
Placing third, Lucas Vinci made a strong showing in early returns, taking
over a quarter of the absentee ballot votes.
The weekend prior to the election, an aggressive effort by the "Anyone
but Vinci" campaign attacked Vinci with mail flyers and phone calls
to La Verne residents.
"There has never been a negative campaign in La Verne," Vinci
said. "This is a black eye for the city."