Late numbers Tuesday night showed Patridge topped the ticket with 1,151 votes. Businessman Alifano followed that lead with 974 votes and Kowalczyk came in third with 854 votes.
The three new council members beat former Mayor Deborah Ruddock, who came in fourth with 784 votes, followed by Dan Handler with 775, Sofia Freer with 729, then George Muteff with 665. Newcomer Charles Hoelzel earned 320 votes. The numbers reflect all eight precincts and mail-in ballots, however they were unofficial Tuesday night.
  
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"The campaign has been difficult for all of us," Patridge said. "All the accusation and criticism of us would have been difficult for us to answer. So we didn't do it. The integrity of our campaign showed through."
A lifelong resident on the Coastside, Patridge will now return for her sixth term on the City Council, which she promises will be her last. Returning for another round on the council tops a lifetime of community service and leadership roles in Half Moon Bay.
Patridge retired after 37 years at the Cabrillo Unified School District but has since become engrossed in community involvement, working as an organizer for the city's Art & Pumpkin Festival, a coach for the Half Moon Bay High School varsity softball team and president of the Half Moon Bay Girls' Softball League. Patridge has also served on several county boards, including the Local Agency Formation Commission, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the Congestion Management & Environmental Quality Committee.
During her new term, Patridge hopes to follow through on the city's strategic plan, simplify the city's Local Coastal Program and ameliorate the city's $34 million in bond debt.
Patridge is the only incumbent who faced re-election after a tumultuous term for Half Moon Bay leadership, when council members had to determine how the city should resolve the contentious Beachwood lawsuit. On the most important Beachwood decisions, including the decisions to settle the lawsuit and issue bonds - Patridge voted with members of the council majority, a group including Muller and Fraser and Councilwoman Bonnie McClung, who is leaving after this term.
"What we did was for the best of the community," Patridge said. "And the voters tonight showed that they appreciated that."
Alifano agreed with Patridge, saying the voters demonstrated they wanted to steer away from the divisive politics that surrounded Beachwood.
"The community showed they wanted mainstream candidates that can move the city forward," Alifano said. "The residents say these three candidate were the right answer to reunite the community."
Owner of a downtown computer-repair shop, 63-year-old Alifano has become a local business advocate, working as president of the Downtown Business Association. In the mid-1970s he served for eight years on the city Planning Commission along with working on the Ocean Colony Board of Directors.
Joking to his supporters, Kowalczyk thanked everyone who could correctly spell his name. Relatively new to the Coastside and new to politics, Kowalczyk has promised to use his skills as a business consultant to help boost the city's revenues and merchant community.
Patridge and her political slate beat a rival political team consisting of Ruddock, Freer and Handler that received strong support from environmental groups. Ruddock and her colleagues campaigned on a platform criticizing recent council decisions and promising change.
A new challenge facing the new council will be to try and re-unite the community after a raucous election.
"Now you've got five people with similar views," said Alifano. "We all see things the same way, and that's what's best for Half Moon Bay." r
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