Paulding, Dantona widen leads in SLO County supervisor races

Two San Luis Obispo County supervisor races continued to shift Monday as election officials counted more ballots from the June 2 primary, with both races seeing incumbency-backed candidates pull further ahead.

Dantona Overtakes Early Deficit in District 2

In the most dramatic turnaround, CalCoastNews reported that Democrat Jim Dantona now leads civil engineer Michael Erin Woody by 501 votes in the District 2 race. Dantona has 5,333 votes (52.46%) to Woody's 4,832 (47.54%).

The reversal marks a stunning comeback for Dantona, who trailed by 240 votes on election night. The District 2 seat covers coastal communities from Los Osos to San Simeon and has been held by Bruce Gibson since 2007. Gibson chose not to seek reelection after nearly two decades in office.

Dantona currently serves as Gibson's chief of staff and previously spent eight years as president and CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. Woody is a Morro Bay civil engineer who changed his party affiliation from Republican to no party preference in 2019.

Paulding Extends Lead in District 4 Race

Incumbent Jimmy Paulding, who currently serves as Board Chair, has widened his lead over challenger Adam Verdin to 1,115 votes. The CalCoastNews reported Paulding now holds 54.38% of the vote compared to Verdin's 45.62%.

District 4 represents Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Huasna, Edna Valley and other unincorporated South County areas. Verdin, who runs restaurants and works as an attorney and pilot, has been seeking to unseat the Democratic incumbent.

Thousands of Ballots Still Uncounted

The county elections office says 48,606 ballots remain unprocessed, with officials noting that staff can process about 5,000 ballots daily. The office plans to release another update Tuesday.

A new state law effective January 1, 2026, requires mail ballots to be tabulated within 13 days of the election. More than 90% of SLO County voters choose mail ballots, with many casting them just before or on election day.

What's Next for Vote Counting

Key milestones in the counting process include June 9 as the last day to receive mailed ballots postmarked by election day, and June 15 as the deadline for counting mail ballots without signature issues. The county has until July 2 to certify final results.

Ballots requiring signature verification and provisional ballots continue to be processed at the Elections Center in downtown San Luis Obispo, with the public able to observe the counting process. Both races could still see shifts as the remaining ballots are tallied over the coming weeks.