In San Luis Obispo County’s District 4—which includes Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Nipomo, and rural areas along Highway 166—the two mainstream supervisorial candidates made a strong statement as the professed “outsider” candidate faded away.
The race for what many locals consider to be the “swing seat” on the SLO County Board of Supervisors has been contentious and expensive, as candidates have publically sparred and cumulatively raised more than $400,000 in campaign donations.
The race’s biggest fundraiser—Republican agricultural businesswoman Lynn Compton—was also the big winner in the June 3 primary election, as she pulled down 46.4 percent of the vote.
Narrowly trailing Compton was Democrat incumbent supervisor Caren Ray, who received 42.6 percent of the vote (only 384 votes behind Compton). Mike Byrd—a Democrat real estate broker who ran as the “alternative” candidate—received a scant 10.8 percent and was eliminated from the race.
In total, 10,410 ballots had been cast in District 4 (good for a 33.9 percent turnout) as of the morning of June 4. SLO County Clerk-Recorder Julie Rodewald said about 20 percent of ballots still remained uncounted countywide as of June 4, but added she didn’t expect the District 4 numbers to change significantly.
Since neither Compton nor Ray received 50 percent of the vote, the two will advance to a runoff general election in November.
In addition, the Sun attended all three of the District 4 election night parties on June 3.
At Compton election night headquarters—The Quarterdeck in Arroyo Grande—spirits were high as a crowded room of revelers kept a close eye on a TV displaying election results and chowed down on chips and dips, sliders, and loaded baked potatoes.
The Sun pulled Compton aside for a brief interview, and the candidate compared waiting for the results to the final moments of her pregnancy.
“I just want it to be over!” she confessed.
Compton thanked her supporters and volunteers, and emphasized that she was “in it for the long haul” when asked about the extremely likely prospect of a November runoff.
Byrd was all smiles at his party—held at Best Lovin BBQ & Grill in A.G.—despite the grim returns. A subdued crowd of 15 or 20 attendees bemoaned the lackluster results, drowned their sorrows in barbecue, and offered Byrd condolences.
“I think we did what we set out to do,” Byrd told the Sun. “I have no regrets whatsoever. I would have been more pleased to win, obviously, but we gave voters an alternative.”
Byrd said he was “relieved” to be done with campaigning, and added that the “partisanship and special interest influence” embodied by Compton and Ray would be toxic for the county.
The Sun arrived at Ray’s election night bash—held at A.G.’s Comfort Market—just before 11 p.m., but about 20 Ray supporters and politicos with stamina were still enjoying wine, cheese, and olives as they checked election results on iPads.
The bartender estimated that about 50 people had been at the party at peak hours, and the mood was decidedly upbeat despite Ray slightly trailing Compton.
“I think this race is like the story of the tortoise and the hare,” Ray said, sitting at the bar. “[Compton] is the hare, coming out spending all that money with guns blazing, but we’re getting our message out, and slow and steady will win the race.”
Ray added that there was “a lot more work to be done,” but the current supervisor’s work was done for the night, as she headed home with her boyfriend and two sons just after 11 p.m.
This article appears in Jun 5-12, 2014.