Measures, incumbents, and a newcomer take leads in Grover Beach

Grover Beach voters appear poised to return Mayor Kassi Dee and 2nd District Councilmember Jules Tuggle to office while approving a pair of citizen initiatives that could reshape how the small beach city governs growth — results that carry implications well beyond Grover Beach's roughly 8,000 registered voters, including for Atascadero residents watching how Central Coast cities navigate state housing law.

According to preliminary counts posted by the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office as of Nov. 4, Dee — the city's youngest mayor and an Atascadero-area familiar face through her shop, Nan's Books and Crystals — held nearly 54 percent of the vote in her re-election bid against Planning Commissioner David Swift, who drew about 46 percent. The two were separated by roughly 200 votes out of 2,620 ballots counted in Grover Beach so far, as the New Times SLO (Atascadero) reported.

"It was just absolutely lovely to be surrounded by so many amazing human beings and our families and friends," Dee told New Times on election night, which she celebrated at her shop. "I'm so grateful."

Council races: an incumbent and a newcomer ahead

In the 2nd District, Tuggle secured an early lead with 377 votes to opponent Allen Thompson's 259 — nearly 60 percent of the vote share. In the 1st District, newcomer Shilo Terek led with 355 votes to Kelvin Coveduck's 291. Terek's lead, if it holds, would put a fresh face on a council that could soon be grappling with the aftermath of two ballot measures.

Coveduck, a supporter of the building-height limit Measure F-26, told New Times that voters "made it clear" they want to protect ocean and dune views. He suggested the next council could go further by designating specific roads as "scenic" and modifying the Local Coastal Plan to prevent tall buildings from blocking views from roadways.

Measures F-26 and A-26 heading toward passage

The two citizen initiatives on the Grover Beach ballot both drew strong support in early returns. Measure F-26, which would limit building heights in the beach town, was leading with 66 percent of affirmative votes. Measure A-26, which would convert the city clerk from an appointed to an elected position, had secured nearly 61 percent of "yes" votes.

Swift noted the lopsided measure results don't neatly track the candidate races. "A 200-[vote] spread at first count isn't surprising," he told New Times. "I think the one that does surprise me is how overwhelming the support has been for F-26 and A-26, which strangely enough, doesn't map to the mayor and council races."

Measure A-26 proponent Debbie Peterson pointed out that it is the fourth grassroots citizen ballot measure in Grover Beach since 2024 — and that all have been resoundingly approved by voters. "The people of Grover Beach have sent an undeniable message and remit to the City Council about their wishes for their community, similar to that sent across the nation," Peterson said.

A possible collision with state housing law

F-26's strong showing sets up a potential legal showdown. Earlier this year, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) sent the city a letter warning that if the measure passes, it could be voided and leave Grover Beach in violation of state law.

"I fully expect, if F-26 passes, that it will get challenged by the HCD to the Attorney General's Office, and they will probably void it," Swift told New Times. "The question back to the council and the [Planning] Commission is what do we do with the overwhelming public support for it?"

The tension between local voter-approved growth limits and state housing mandates is hardly unique to Grover Beach. Cities across California — including others in San Luis Obispo County — have faced HCD scrutiny over Housing Element compliance, and how Grover Beach's council responds to a passed-but-legally-vulnerable measure will be closely watched by neighboring municipalities, including those inland like Atascadero that face their own state housing targets.

What the winners say comes next

Dee told New Times that if she retains her seat, her priorities for the coming year include water supply and resiliency, completing work on the Housing Element, and improving city facilities and residential streets. Swift, should he close the gap, said the future of F-26 ranks among his top three priorities, alongside water security and addressing the funding shortfall for streets.

County turnout could top 2022

Grover Beach's results are part of a countywide election that could surpass turnout in the last midterm. According to data from the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's Office, election workers had counted more than 110,000 ballots before Nov. 3 — approaching the little more than 120,000 ballots counted in the November 2022 election.

SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano told New Times that the legal deadline for completing the count of all eligible ballots is Nov. 16, and that her office expected to post additional updates by the end of Nov. 5.

"The two-card ballot means twice the processing and counting activity," Cano said. "While we had more total ballot cards counted going into Election Day than for other recent elections, we have thousands more ballots that passed signature verification and were moved to counting before yesterday but have yet to be run through the tabulators. In the next few days, those will be added to the unofficial results."

For Atascadero readers, the takeaway is straightforward: the margins in Grover Beach's mayor's race are narrow enough that late-processed ballots could still shift the outcome, and the fate of Measure F-26 — and any state response — will be a developing story for the entire 805 region in the weeks ahead.