President Paul Dohring cruises to victory over challenger Billy Summers in the mayoral race in St. Helena, according to early results.

With 33 percent of all potential votes counted, Dohring led with 70.58 percent, while Summers had 29.42 percent.

The Democratic Press will rely on information from election officials and the candidates themselves before naming a winner, since not everyone who received a ballot will be voted.

Paul Dohring was elected mayor for a two-year term in 2022 after serving on the City Council for eight years. His opponent, Billy Summers, won his first four-year term on the City Council in 2022.

The St. Helena City Council also had two seats up for grabs in this election and three new candidates, none of whom have previous experience as elected officials.

With 54% of all potential votes counted, Michelle Deasy and Aaron Barak were leading with 38% each, while Hector Marroquin had 23.84%. Again, the Press Democrat will rely on information from election officials and the candidates themselves before naming a winner, as not everyone who received a ballot will be voted.

St. Helena, home to about 5,000 people, has a five-member municipal council that is elected at large.

Mayoral race

Paul Dohring, 63, a real estate and real estate attorney and longtime Napa Valley resident, describes himself as an “old school” politician with public service one of his core values.

In 2022, Dohring defeated fellow alderman Eric Hall by 132 votes to become mayor. Now, he wants to see the work he and the rest of the City Council have put in over the past two years pay off.

Over the past several years, the council has worked on eight set goals — including strengthening the city’s fiscal resilience, improving infrastructure and pursuing water security, he said.

But maintaining economic sustainability while providing the services the community demands is difficult, he said, and has led to the budget problems the city is currently facing.

In the run-up to the election, he said there was a need to rebuild trust in the community and not excessive promises.

His opponent Billy Summers, 50, is a music producer, cinematographer and former professional snowboarder who has been a resident of St. Helena for about 15 years. He also co-founded The Herbivore cannabis dispensary in Napa.

Summers’ campaign focused largely on the need for more transparency. To help improve transparency — and to counterbalance what he sees as the council’s over-reliance on city staff — he advocated creating a citizen-led financial oversight committee and a water and wastewater committee.

Summers previously served on the city’s park and recreation commission.

City Council race

Aaron Barak, 52, lives in St. Helena since 2018. Currently Chief Technology Officer for Solano County, he previously worked for Silicon Valley Bank.

His main campaign planks included working for greater fiscal responsibility and addressing the city’s water problems.

For the former, he proposed greater operational efficiency and an elaborate means of “burden sharing” to raise millions in additional funds. That included a parcel tax to fund the library, 0.25 percent increases in the city’s sales and business license taxes and a 1 percent local increase in the transient occupancy tax assessed on hotel rooms, among other things.

Regarding the city’s water issues, Barak said in his campaign that he would like the city to join a countywide water agency to help reduce costs.

Michelle Deasy, 52, has lived in St Helena since 2019.

Executive director of QA Commons, a nonprofit that works to prepare students for the workforce, is big on attracting jobs and industries to the city that are “future-oriented” and provide upward mobility opportunities for young people.

For her, the city’s budget deficit and water quality, cost and sustainability are the most pressing issues that need to be addressed. Additionally, she feels the city needs to think about its declining population.

Along with the co-founder of the walking group St. Helena Striders and volunteer coach of local youth sports, she is currently chair of the city’s library board and previously served on the city’s park and recreation commission.

Hector Marroquin, 49, is a St. Helena native who graduated from St. Helena High School. He is currently the President of the Nonprofit Association of the Masonic Temple of Saint Helena and has a professional background in food and wine as well as real estate finance.

In the run-up to the election, he said he would focus on improving the city’s financial stability, supporting local businesses and families and building affordable housing in the city.

To that end, he said he wants the city to provide vacant land on the Our Town St. property. Helena, a local nonprofit housing developer, to facilitate new affordable rental housing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @MehtaTarini.