Big oil loses at the polls in Richmond

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Thursday, November 6, 2014
City Councilman Tom Butt has been elected as Mayor of Richmond.
City Councilman Tom Butt has been elected as Mayor of Richmond.
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RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- Grassroots campaigns took on big oil and won. Chevron reportedly spent $72 per voter in an attempt to help some candidates get elected.

City Councilman Tom Butt won the highly contested race for mayor with 52-percent of the vote.

The 70-year old has served on Richmond's City Council for two decades. The race between Butt and Nat Bates was tight. Chevron spent $3 million to support Bates and other candidates.

All three Richmond progressive alliance candidates won city council seats in the race that has drawn national attention.