“After some difficult months, today is a very good day for District 2,’’ said Nate Miley, president of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. “This Board agrees that Richard stands out as someone who will immediately bring very strong leadership to District 2, and the vibrant and very important communities that the district represents.’’
District 2 includes Hayward, Newark, Union City, and parts of Fremont and Sunol.
The board was unable to reach a decision last week between Valle and Newark City Vice Mayor Ana Apodaca, who would have been the board’s only Latina member to represent the county’s 339,000 Hispanic citizens.
If the board had not appointed a new supervisor by June 19, the decision would have gone to Gov. Jerry Brown.
Prior to the vote, Dave Connolly, president of the Alameda Labor Council and vice president of the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific, urged the board to support Valle as the solid choice of the labor community.
“District 2 is arguably the most working class of all of Alameda County,” said Connolly. “There is no doubt that the working men and women of District 2, the many thousands who live and work there, are speaking with one voice for Richard Valle.”
Immediately following Connolly’s remarks, Supervisor Keith Carson announced his support for Valle and raised a motion to appoint him to the board, withdrawing his previous support for Apodaca.
After Carson’s statement, Supervisor Scott Haggerty voiced his respect for Apodaca, yet reluctantly switched his vote to Valle “in the interest of forming consensus and moving forward.”
“I think that my mission is to do what’s best for the residents of Alameda County,” said Haggarty, “and I personally do not believe that allowing the governor of the state to appoint somebody is in the interest of Alameda County.”
“It is time to get to work,” Haggerty said later. “There has been way too many distractions and side issues that have been affecting us and our ability to do our job.”
Haggerty also stated the race had been civil until “smear letters” started circulating against Apodaca.
After being sworn in, Valle thanked the board for their support amidst cheers from the crowd.
“We are going to do some great things in District 2,’’ said Valle. “and we are going to carry that faith and that effort throughout Alameda County, to do the very best we can.’’
Valle will serve District 2 until voters formally elect a supervisor in the November general election, with “labor, faith based organizations and different cultures” to make up the bulk of his election support, according to Valle.
Valle also mentioned twice, once during the appointment and then after the meeting to reporters about a secret that is “important and based on something that has happened that [he] believes the supervisors should know about.”
Whatever Valle is referring to is uncertain and he would not elaborate further.
Shane Bond and Keely Wong contributed to this article.
