Santa Barbara County Election Results Roundup

Razor-Thin Fifth District Race Remains Too Close to Call

The most closely watched race of the night remains undecided as three candidates battle for the Santa Barbara County Fifth District supervisor seat. According to early results from the County Elections Office, high school teacher Ricardo Valencia leads with 36.1%, followed by Santa Maria City Council member Maribel Aguilera-Hernandez at 33.9%, and Supervisor Steve Lavagnino's chief of staff Cory Bantilan at 29.5%.

With fewer than 250 votes separating Valencia from his rivals, the race appears headed for a November runoff between the top two finishers. Valencia, backed by the county Democratic Party, would represent a significant shift in the traditionally conservative district that includes northern Santa Maria, Guadalupe, and unincorporated Tanglewood areas.

The race has attracted substantial financial backing, with Valencia holding more than $102,000 in campaign funds as of mid-May, while Aguilera-Hernandez had $88,796 and Bantilan maintained $51,444. The seat opened after Lavagnino announced his retirement, marking the first contested election for the position since 2010.

Slattery Leads Upset Bid Against Incumbent Auditor-Controller

In a surprising development, challenger Kyle Slattery holds a narrow lead over incumbent Auditor-Controller Betsy Schaffer, capturing 51.3% compared to Schaffer's 48.4% in early returns.

The race pits two longtime county employees against each other – Schaffer, who currently runs the office, against Slattery, her former chief deputy controller who now serves as deputy chief information officer. Slattery's challenge has garnered unusual support, with four of five county supervisors endorsing him, along with the Democratic Party and major unions.

Slattery, a certified public accountant, has criticized delays in the county's Workday implementation and promises greater transparency and proactive auditing if elected.

Superior Court Race Sees Rare Contested Election

In the first contested Superior Court race in Santa Barbara County since 2008, incumbent Judge Thomas Adams narrowly leads challenger Luis Esparza, 50.6% to 49.1% in preliminary results.

The close margin makes this one of the most curious local races, with Adams facing his toughest political challenge in a 50-year judicial career. Esparza, who runs a small private practice, has positioned himself as a younger, more representative alternative to the veteran judge.

Strong Leads in Other County Races

Several races showed decisive early results. Incumbent Supervisor Laura Capps dominated her Second District race with 76.3% against challenger Elijah Mack's 23.4%.

In the clerk-recorder-assessor race, deputy Melinda Greene leads incumbent Joseph Holland 59.5% to 40.2%, while two unopposed candidates – Susan Salcido for county superintendent of schools and Kimberly Tesoro for treasurer-tax collector – secured comfortable margins.

Santa Barbara Measure A Passes Easily

Santa Barbara voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, the charter amendment allowing city property leases longer than 50 years, with 67% support. The measure, which cost the city $195,000 to place on the ballot, will enable the city to offer 99-year leases to private developers for housing projects on city-owned parking lots and other properties.

Meanwhile, Lompoc's Measure B failed with only 46.8% support, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve a half-cent sales tax increase for street repairs.

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The Santa Barbara County Elections Office will continue releasing updated results as additional ballots are processed, with official certification expected by July 2.