Hansen concedes to Valenzuela in hotly contest Sacramento City Council District 4 race


Following the release of the latest vote tallies yesterday afternoon, Sacramento District 4 City Councilmember Steve Hansen acknowledging the trend line would not change, conceded to challenger Katie Valenzuela.

The number showed that Valenzuela had won 7,108 votes or 54-percent to Hansen's 6,138 to 46-percent. Countywide there are 149,982 uncounted ballots.

In an email to supporters, Hansen acknowledged the trend was unlikely to change. While conceding defeat, Hansen criticized the campaign waged against him.

“While we are still waiting for an estimated 7,000 votes to still be counted, it seems like we will come up short in this race after an unprecedented negative campaign against me by my opponent and her allies."

First elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2012, Hansen and was the city's first openly Gay councilmember. Even though Hansen is politically liberal, Valenzuela ran as a progressive Democrat.

Hansen's relations with the Democratic Party of Sacramento County frayed following his 2018 endorsement of Ann Marie Schubert, who at the time was a Republican, over Democratic rival Noah Phillips. As a result of the Schubert endorsement, who has subsequently has become independent, Hansen and his city council colleague Eric Guerra were expelled from the club.

During the election, Terry Schanz, chair of the county party, sent an email defending the decision to expel Hansen and endorse Valenzuela. The email statement said, "It is fair and appropriate for Democratic leadership to demand that elected members of our local Democratic Party and Democratic candidates seeking the endorsement of the Democratic Party not endorse non-Democrats against an endorsed Democratic candidate."

Valenzuela's campaign was criticized after supporters independently sent mailers attacking Hansen that were characterized as homophobic. The Democratic Party and Valenzuela said they did not authorize the literature and disavowed them. 

In a statement posted on social media, Valenzuela acknowledged Hansen's contribution to the city during his two terms and extended an olive branch to his supporters. Valenzuela added, "I look forward to galvanizing our base of supporters to keep fighting for accountability, solutions for the housing and homelessness crisis, and planning for our future."

Hansen's term ends on December 15. 


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