Pictured on election night 2010 (from L to R) are the Seversons: Pam, Chris, Ralph, and Sue. Chris Severson was elected to his first term on the Orinda Union School District Board of Trustees. Chris' mom, Sue Severson, was reelected to her second term on the City Council the same night. Photo Robyn Bowen

Election night results have held true in both the Orinda City Council and Orinda Union School District (OUSD) Governing Board races.

With over 20,000 votes now counted-more than double the number reported on election night-Amy Worth, Dean Orr, and Sue Severson have finished one, two, and three for the three open Council seats with a widened gap over fourth and fifth place finishers Scott Zeller and current Mayor Tom McCormick.

Although the Contra Costa County Elections Department has until November 30th to tally any remaining uncounted ballots, it seems unlikely the overall results will change. However, any change to the order the candidates fall within the top three spots could impact who serves as Mayor during the four-year term. While the Council votes each year to appoint the Mayor and Vice Mayor, the posts are traditionally given to the Council members who garnered the most votes in the election. Thus the candidates placing first and second in the 2010 election would typically serve as Mayor in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Currently, Worth leads the group with more than 1,000 votes over the other two candidates. Orr, who is now in second place, maintains a narrow 10-vote margin over incumbent Severson. Worth, Orr, and Severson will be sworn in at the Council's December 7th meeting, and the Council will determine the Mayor for 2011 at that time. Victoria Smith currently serves as Vice Mayor.

The outcome of the race for three seats on the OUSD Board of Trustees has also remained unchanged. With over 18,000 now counted Julie Rossiter, Chris Severson, and Tyson Krumholz remain in the top three spots.

The election results reported in this article are current as of November 19th, 2010. Any change in the election outcome will be reported online, go to www.lamorindaweekly.com for updates.