Paolo Maffei Defeats Don Ratzlaff

In the most hotly-contested race in Tuolumne County, Paolo Maffei defeated Don Ratzlaff for the District 2 Supervisor´s seat.

Maffei had 2,155 votes, or about 60 percent, to Ratzlaff´s 1,436 votes, or 40 percent.

Throughout the campaign, Ratzlaff, the incumbent, portrayed Maffei as a one-issue, no-growth candidate too allied with environmental groups like the Sierra Club, Audubon Society and Native Plant Society.

Maffei claimed Ratzlaff was beholden to developers and had ignored the wishes of the people during the public debate over the Mountain Springs housing development. In fact, Maffei said it was Ratzlaff´s rudeness chairing those meetings that made him decide to run in the first place.

After his victory, Maffei said with his and Jim Peterson´s election - both on smart growth platforms - there is a clear mandate to change the political climate of Tuolumne County.

The race was the most expensive in the county this election, with the two candidates raising and spending more than $30,000 between them.