For the first time in years, the race for 5th District Santa Barbara County supervisor will extend to the general election.
Initial vote counts for the June 2 primary put Ricardo Valencia and Maribel Aguilera on the November ballot, with Cory Bantilan out of the running. Count totals released on June 8 show Valencia with 41.7 percent of the votes (3,370) and Aguilera with 31.2 percent (2,521). Bantilan was at 26.6 percent.
“It looks like at this point, we’re up by hundreds of votes. It’s an approximate 10-point lead. And so, for me, it’s really indicative that the people of District 5,” Valencia said, “we’re tired of ICE attacking our communities. … We’re tired of rent being unaffordable.”
The county Elections Office said it has about 1,295 votes left to count countywide, so the results are unlikely to change.
“As the count continues, I’m not taking a single vote for granted,” Aguilera, a current Santa Maria City Council member, said on June 9.
The opportunity to continue serving the 5th District “is the honor of my life,” she said.
“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. The Santa Maria and Guadalupe families across the 5th District opened their doors to me, told me their hopes and worries, and trusted me with their stories,” Aguilera said. “This community raised me and shaped me. … I just want to serve the district and give back the way it served me to become the attorney I am today.”
Knocking on doors and talking to constituents has been one of her favorite parts of the campaign so far, she said. It’s something she looks forward to continuing to do in the months ahead.
As Valencia looks toward November, he said he would continue what his campaign has already been doing: grassroots funding with volunteers knocking on doors and phone banking.
“It’s youth-led, and that’s what gives me faith for the future. We’re seeing a multi-generational, multi-faith group come together,” Valencia said, adding that he’s grateful for the support he’s received. “Folks that are challenging the draconian measures of the federal administration. … Our path to victory is going to be with unity.”
Steve Lavagnino has been the county’s 5th District supervisor for 16 years, and for the last three cycles, he ran unopposed. His votes were reliably conservative alongside those of his 4th District counterpart, now Bob Nelson. Bantilan, Lavagnino’s longtime chief of staff, campaigned on some of the issues that Lavagnino worked on in office—such as the arrests of individuals with felony warrants and helping clear out the Santa Maria Riverbed of encampments and connecting the homeless individuals with services.
Valencia said that those who voted for Bantilan in the primary should consider supporting him in the general election as there are areas where the campaigns could align, such as “holding our government accountable.” Other issues for Valencia include not expanding the North County Jail, putting money into youth and affordable child care, and using county-owned land to invest in affordable housing.
Major 5th District issues for Aguilera are streamlining the process for building housing so that it’s affordable for young families, public safety, and investing in youth programs for North County. She encourages voters who haven’t made up their minds to take a look at the candidates running in the general election with a critical eye.
“Do they have a plan? Do they know where they’re going to get the money from? And how are they going to execute it?” she said. “This is not political. This is nonpartisan, and both parties have worked really hard to make this a partisan race. This is really about the 5th District and who’s going to represent you.”
As the vote counts stood on June 8, incumbent 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps held 78 percent of the votes against challenger Elijah Mack, enough to skip the general election and retake her spot. Current county Clerk, Recorder, and Assessor Joseph Holland will lose his job to challenger Melinda Greene, who leads with 60 percent of the votes. To win the position outright in the primary, Greene needs 50 percent of the votes plus one.
The County Elections Office will release updated counts on June 11.
This article appears in June 11 – June 18, 2026.
