San Luis Obispo County’s latest election results

Three weeks after San Luis Obispo County voters headed to the polls for the June 2 primary, the picture has come into sharp focus: two supervisor seats appear poised to remain in Democratic hands, an incumbent county clerk-recorder has won decisively, and the coastal community of Los Osos has narrowly voted to tax itself to save a beloved old school site from development.

As of a Friday, June 19 ballot update — reported by CalCoastNews — roughly 1,800 ballots remain to be processed countywide, with another 402 carrying signatures that could still be cured. As of June 19, SLO County has counted 98,932 ballots, and about 1,800 remain. By law, voters have until 5 p.m. on June 24 to cure their signatures. Counties have 30 days to complete all canvass activities and certify the election, putting the certification deadline for this primary at July 2.

Dantona Flips District 2 After a Slow Start

The race to replace longtime Supervisor Bruce Gibson in District 2 was one of the most closely watched contests in the county — and it delivered a dramatic reversal. The seat has been held for years by Supervisor Bruce Gibson, who announced last year that after nearly two decades in office he would not seek re-election.

On Election Night, ballot results showed Michael Erin Woody ahead of Jim Dantona by 241 votes — but two days later, the results flipped, showing Dantona in the lead. The late-ballot comeback reflects a well-documented statewide pattern. Cal Poly Political Science Professor Michael Latner explained that Republicans now tend to vote in person more than Democrats, meaning in-person votes counted on Election Night can cause races to flip once mail-in votes are tallied.

The latest unofficial totals show Dantona, a Democrat, at 53.52% (9,278 votes) to Woody's 46.48% (8,059 votes), according to CalCoastNews. Dantona is currently Gibson's chief of staff. Woody is a civil engineer; the second district covers coastal communities from Los Osos north to Ragged Point.

Paulding Holds On in South County's Bitter District 4 Contest

Incumbent Jimmy Paulding of Arroyo Grande — also the current Board Chair — squared off against challenger Adam Verdin, an Oceano businessman, attorney and community volunteer, in a race that for nearly a year included accusations of campaign violations, misleading advertisements and questionable donation sources.

The acrimony included Paulding's eventually dismissed complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission over donations received by Verdin's campaign, and the way Verdin's campaign characterized Paulding as anti-Proposition 13.

Paulding led from Election Night onward. Paulding is seeking reelection after first winning the seat four years ago in 2022. The latest unofficial tally shows him at 53.52% (11,217 votes) to Verdin's 46.48% (9,740 votes). The 4th District has seen close races for several election cycles — in 2018, Paulding lost by just 60 votes, and in 2022 he won the rematch against then-incumbent Lynn Compton by 639 votes.

District 4 represents Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Huasna, Edna Valley, California Valley and other unincorporated portions of South County.

Cano Wins Clerk-Recorder Race in a Landslide

County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano, the Democrat who has overseen the county's elections office through a demanding post-pandemic period, cruised to reelection over two Republican challengers. The latest totals, per CalCoastNews, show Cano at 63.67% (52,685 votes), Vanessa Rozo at 26.59% (22,005 votes), and Gaea Powell at 9.74% (8,056 votes).

Cano's office has been on the receiving end of criticism over the pace of vote-counting in recent cycles. Cano addressed that scrutiny directly, saying it is "unfortunate, especially in this time of rampant misinformation on social media and beyond," that more community members haven't taken advantage of the public's right to observe ballot processing. A new state law effective January 1, 2026, requires almost all mail ballots to be tabulated within 13 days of an election — a bar Cano's office worked toward meeting.

Los Osos Votes to Tax Itself for Sunnyside Park

Among the most closely contested local measures on the ballot, Los Osos Measure B-26 now appears to have passed — but it took weeks of counting to get there. On Election Night, 52% of voters initially said no to the parcel tax, with 48% in favor — before the measure flipped as more ballots were counted.

Last year, a coalition of Los Osos voters collected enough signatures to place Measure B-26 on the June ballot to fundraise for the purchase of the former Sunnyside Elementary School site, which the San Luis Coastal Unified School District is selling, and transform it into a community park with sports fields.

The measure establishes a parcel tax of $185 per parcel per year for 15 years, then dropping to $100 per parcel per year (with CPI adjustments), to raise approximately $1,114,255 annually. When the 15-year acquisition period ends, the tax would raise $602,200 annually for maintaining the property. The San Luis Coastal Unified School District listed the property for sale with an appraised value of $6 million.

The latest unofficial tally shows Measure B passing with 54.05% (3,431 yes) to 45.95% (2,917 no). If the measure is certified, plans for a park would move forward with the Community Services District finalizing a purchase agreement with the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which owns the property. Opponents of the parcel tax argued that Los Osos already has open space and sports facilities and that the community services district does not have the capability of managing the project.

Sunnyside Elementary, located off Los Osos Valley Road, closed in 2002 due to declining enrollment, and over the years the site has been leased to CAL FIRE and a Waldorf school.

What Comes Next

Another results update from the SLO County Elections Office is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. At this point, about 1,800 ballots remain, consisting of those needing to be researched — provisional ballots cast at the polls — those needing to be remade due to damage, stray marks, or stains, and those requiring a signature cure. Voters whose signatures require curing have until June 24 to do so. Final certification of the primary is due by July 2.

For SLO County residents, the outcomes carry real consequences: two supervisor seats will shape county land-use, housing, and budget decisions for the next four years, while Los Osos property owners face a new annual tax bill — and, if all goes to plan, a new neighborhood park where a shuttered schoolyard once stood.