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By Mark Hughes
Special to the Herald

It now appears that most of the votes have been counted for the Benicia mayoral election, and unfortunately for me, the results were not what I had hoped. Losing such a close election stings a bit, but I am so proud of the campaign that I ran. I made a personal commitment about a year ago, to run a positive campaign, and to not criticize other candidates in order to make me look better. In fact, I remember saying early on that I would rather take the high road and lose the election, than go negative to win it. I asked my supporters to accept this same philosophy, and I couldn’t be more proud of them for following my lead. I may have lost this election, but at the end of the day, I maintained my integrity.
I congratulate Elizabeth Patterson for being re-elected as mayor of Benicia. As I indicated to her when I called the day after the election, that although we don’t always agree on everything, we do agree on many issues, and we should remember that as we continue to move forward as colleagues on the City Council. I truly believe, that when it comes to all Benicia citizens, there is much more that unites us, than divides us.
As I continue my service to our community as a member of the Benicia City Council, I am extremely grateful and comforted by the fact that nearly half of all of the voters in town voted for me, and I will keep this level of support in mind as I move forward. It’s equally important to keep in mind that a little over half of the voters did not vote for me, and I very much respect their votes. As I walked all of the precincts in town over the past few months, and knocked on doors, many citizens shared with me their thoughts and ideas about Benicia, and expressed concerns related to issues that were important to them. I can assure you all that I heard you, and that I will work very hard to address your concerns. I will also continue to listen to and consider all opinions and sides of an argument before I make a decision or cast a vote; you have my word. And as always, I will continue to be available to meet with anyone to discuss the things that are most important to you.
Being involved in an election is very challenging for a candidate, and can be stressful and fatiguing for them, their family, and their close friends, regardless of whether it’s a national election or a local one. As I celebrated the end of the campaign at my house on election night, and looked around at the nearly 200 friends and family members who joined me, it reminded me of just how blessed I am. Winning the election that night would have been icing on the cake, but knowing that those people were there to support me that night, and win or lose, would be there for me the next day and beyond, means the world to me.
Thank you to all who supported and encouraged me this past year. I may not have won the election, but you really have made a difference in my life.

Mark Hughes is the vice mayor of the city of Benicia

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