The Alameda County Board of Supervisors deadlocked 2-2 today on appointing a replacement for Nadia Lockyer, raising the possibility that it might be left up to Gov. Jerry Brown to fill the vacancy.
Lockyer, 41, announced her resignation on April 20 after only 15 months in office, saying she wasn't able to be a good mother to her child and represent her 325,000 constituents in District 2 "while also trudging the waters of early recovery from addiction and the aftermath of interpersonal violence."
A majority of at least three of the four remaining supervisors must agree on a replacement for Lockyer by June 19. If they fail to reach an agreement, it will then be up to Gov. Jerry Brown to name someone.
Eight people applied for the vacancy and the Board of Supervisors narrowed that list down to five people.
After a public hearing last week, two leading candidates emerged: Newark City Councilwoman Ana Apodaca and Union City Councilman Richard Valle.
The four board members split their votes between Apodaca and Valle today, with Scott Haggerty and Keith Carson supporting Apodaca and Wilma Chan and Nate Miley supporting Valle.
The board took a 10-minute break after its vote today to try to figure out a way to resolve the deadlock but after its break the board remained deadlocked and the meeting was adjourned.
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The board has until June 19 to find a solution.
The board could try again at its meetings on June 12 and June 19 but at this point the board isn't scheduled to address the matter again.
If and when a replacement for Lockyer is appointed, that person will only serve as District 2 supervisor until the Nov. 6 general election, when voters will be asked to select someone to serve the final two years of the four-year term.
District 2 seat encompasses Hayward, Newark and Union City as well as the northern part of Fremont and part of Sunol.
Lockyer, who is the wife of California Treasurer Bill Lockyer, was elected to office in November 2010.
After missing several board meetings earlier this year, Lockyer announced on Feb. 14 that she was at a wellness and recovery center. She began participating in board meetings again on March 20 but then announced her resignation on April 20.
