San Mateo Voters Approve Measure J as Combs and Lee Lead in Menlo Park

San Mateo County voters strongly backed a countywide charter amendment extending the timeframe for filling vacant elected offices, while initial vote-by-mail returns in Menlo Park showed wide and razor-thin margins across two City Council districts, according to three election reports from The Almanac.

San Mateo County Voters Back Measure J by 73.35%

In countywide voting reported by Bay City News reporter Alise Maripuu and Embarcadero Media staff in The Almanac, Measure J jumped to an early lead on election night with 73.35% voting in favor and 26.65% opposed. Placed on the Nov. 3 ballot by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors with no opposing arguments submitted to the county's Elections Division, Measure J doubles the board's current 30-day deadline to 60 days to either appoint a replacement or call a special election when an elective office becomes vacant, and requires the board to hold at least one public meeting prior to making an appointment.

Supervisors proposed the extension after experiencing the 30-day time crunch a year ago when the board ousted former Sheriff Christina Corpus over misconduct and abuse of authority, forcing county staff and supervisors to post the opening, interview candidates across multiple rounds, and hold public meetings within 30 days. The preliminary countywide returns include mail-in ballots received by Friday, Oct. 30, with the San Mateo County Elections Office scheduling its next update for 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.

Wonman Lee Takes 75.5% Lead in Menlo Park District 1

In Menlo Park's District 1—which covers the Belle Haven and Bayfront neighborhoods—finance and audit commissioner and software engineer Wonman Lee opened a commanding lead over retired cybersecurity professional James Rohr in early returns released at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to reporter Arden Margulis in The Almanac. Lee led with 75.5% (287 votes) to Rohr's 24.5% (93 votes) out of 380 votes counted among District 1's 3,297 registered voters, with at least 177 vote center ballots still outstanding as of 3:40 p.m.

Lee and Rohr are competing to succeed outgoing Councilmember Cecilia Taylor, who endorsed Rohr. Both candidates called for fairer distribution of municipal resources across Menlo Park's five council districts and advocated bringing a full-service grocery store and pharmacy to Belle Haven. Lee favors increased citywide development near transit, whereas Rohr opposes additional multifamily housing in Belle Haven to prevent displacement of single-family residents and supports expanded legal and financial aid for renters. Newly elected council members serve four-year terms and are scheduled to be sworn in at City Council Chambers on Dec. 8.

Incumbent Drew Combs Leads Vamsi Velagapudi by 15 Votes in District 2

In Menlo Park's District 2—encompassing the Willows, Flood Triangle, and Lorelei Manor neighborhoods—49-year-old incumbent Drew Combs held a 15-vote lead over 47-year-old challenger Vamsi Velagapudi shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, according to The Almanac. Combs, a compliance director at Meta who unseated two-term incumbent Kirsten Keith in 2018 and is the only incumbent councilmember seeking reelection alongside open contests in Districts 1 and 4, led with 50.7% to Velagapudi's 49.3%.

The initial Menlo Park council totals reflect only vote-by-mail ballots received by Nov. 1, with vote center ballots released hourly starting at 9 p.m. and postmarked mail-in ballots accepted through Nov. 10 and reported daily starting Nov. 5. Combs highlighted the Willow Oaks Park remodel and Coleman Avenue safety upgrades while defending his calls for business outreach regarding affordable housing on three downtown parking lots. Velagapudi, a retired consultant advocating business tax reform, argued that delays in certifying the city's housing element enabled a skyscraper proposal at 80 Willow Road, the former Sunset Magazine headquarters. Although both candidates opposed citizen initiative Measure P—which requires a citywide vote to redevelop all eight downtown parking lots and trailed 52.1% to 47.9% in early District 2 reporting—Combs received an endorsement from Yes on P.