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Zone 7 Water Agency board member Kathy Narum jumped out to an early lead over Vin Kruttiventi in her bid to rejoin the Pleasanton City Council, though both candidates said it’s too early to call the race.
As of Friday afternoon, Narum held 60.1% (1,815) of the vote in the District 1 contest, while Kruttiventi had 39.1% (1,166). There were still 265,849 ballots unprocessed ballots countywide, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The office was expected to update its ballot counts on Friday — its first update since the early-morning hours of Nov. 4 — but had not posted anything as of 5 p.m.
The winner of the race will replace Jeff Nibert, who decided not to run for reelection.
Both Narum and Kruttiventi, a longtime business executive and former congressional candidate, said they were cautious about calling the race prematurely.
“Given that the results aren’t yet finalized, it’s a bit difficult to comment on them beyond simply saying that I’m deeply honored to have what appears to be strong support from District 1 residents,” Narum told the Weekly in a statement Thursday.
Kruttiventi noted the early tallies were unofficial and ballots were still being counted.
“I respect the process and will wait for the final tally before drawing conclusions,” he said.
Narum was first elected at-large to the City Council in 2013 and held that seat until she termed out in 2022; city rules prevent residents from serving more than two consecutive terms on the council. She was appointed to the Zone 7 board of directors in 2023. She also has more than a decade of experience serving on local and regional task forces and committees that covered a range of issues including transportation, regional development, schools, mosquito abatement and water.
She pointed out the disparity between the donations funding her campaign and the money funding Kruttiventi in the race for the District 1 seat, which represents most of northwest Pleasanton. Campaign finance records show that Kruttiventi has raised $51,000 this year, while Narum has raised about $19,500.
“We all know that money in political campaigns can play a significant role in getting out one’s message, but what resonates with voters more is not the amount of money one has spent, but the level of commitment and service one has given in their community,” Narum said, adding that “money can’t buy the strong connections that I’ve created with over 20 years of public service.”
“I believe that was reflected in the votes I received from District 1 voters,” she said.
If elected, she said, she would serve all residents of the district.
“My message to District 1 residents is that I will work hard every day to represent your interests at City Hall, irrespective of whether you voted for me or not, just as my record of over 20 years of public service demonstrates,” Narum said.
Kruttiventi confirmed all of his fundraising had come out of his own pocket.
“The money was a personal loan from my own account to the campaign, which I have the option to forgive,” he said, adding that it did not come from the Vinay Kruttiventi Foundation, an organization he founded to mentor entrepreneurs, startup companies, small businesses and nonprofits.
“Foundations, corporations, and business entities cannot make loans to campaigns under (Fair Political Practices Commission) rules,” he said. “My occupation is listed as chairman of my foundation on the filings, but the funds came from personal accounts.”
Kruttiventi said he was initially nudged to run by community members who felt like it was time for change on the City Council, adding he is proud of the campaign he and his team ran.
“I focused on the structural deficit, commercial vacancies, water rates and public safety,” he said.
He noted he “spoke directly with voters and put forward a plan to grow the tax base instead of raising taxes on families.”
Regardless of the final election results, he said, he is committed to staying engaged with the community.
“Pleasanton needs new approaches on revenue, infrastructure and services,” he said.
