As the GOP waved the flag of victory on election night, mayoral and city council races came to a close across Santa Barbara County. The office of Joseph Holland, county clerk, announced the unofficial election results via the website, sbcvote.com, after 9 p.m. on Nov. 8.
According to the unofficial results posted, Santa Maria mayoral incumbent Alice Patino won a decisive victory over challenger Will Smith. Patino was re-elected with 10,982 votes. Smith received 3,871 votes while 61 went to write-in candidates.
The Santa Maria City Council race saw two seats get filled, unseating incumbent Terri Zuniga by just more than 300 votes. Winning candidates are retired Santa Maria Police Department officer and former City Councilman Mike Cordero, with 6,156 votes, and dermatologist Dr. Michael W. Moats, who received 5,961 votes. Zuniga received 5,608 votes.
Lompoc voters also re-elected the city’s mayor, Bob Lingl, with 4,710 votes. Challenger John H. Linn received 3,533 votes, while write-in candidates garnered 32 votes.
Lompoc voted in one new City Council member, Jenelle Osborne, who received the most votes in the race, at 5,032. Incumbent James Mosby, who was elected to Lompoc’s City Council in 2014, received 3,642 votes according to the unofficial results, and longtime City Councilman DeWayne Holmdahl trailed Mosby with 3,425 votes.
The city of Guadalupe re-elected Mayor John Lizalde, who received 832 votes. Lizalde ran uncontested, and there were 55 write-in votes against him.
The Guadalupe City Council race was for two seats as well. Anthony “Tony” Ramirez received the most support in the race at 631 votes. Incumbent City Councilwoman Gina Rubalcaba was re-elected with 428 votes. Martin Murguia received 343 votes and only 10 went to write-in candidates.
Buellton voters elected a new mayor this year, with Holly Sierra receiving 1,001 votes. Sierra’s challenger, Dave King, won 592 votes. Sierra has served on the Buellton City Council since 2012.
The Buellton City Council race only had one open seat this cycle, which went to Foster Reif, who received 767 votes. Reif served Buellton as the city’s Planning Commission chair. Reif won out over incumbent Leo Elovitz, who received 541 votes.
Jim Richardson was re-elected as Solvang’s mayor with 1,735 votes. Richardson has served as Solvang’s first elected mayor since 2008. He ran uncontested.
The Solvang City Council race included two open seats, which went to Ryan Toussaint and Hans Duus. Toussaint received 991 votes while City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Duus won 941 votes. Challenger Karen M. Waite trailed Duus with 929 votes.
More information regarding election outcomes is available at sbcvote.com.
This article appears in Nov 10-17, 2016.
