Update 11/8/18: The elections department announced that ballots from a few precincts were mistakenly left out of the initial counts. When officers added them in yesterday, it amounted to an additional 3,528 votes. Santa Cruz City Council candidate Drew Glover is still in fifth place. The gap has widened slightly, though, between Glover and Greg Larson and Richelle Noroyan, who are third and fourth, respectively, in the race for three seats. County Supervisor Greg Caput has extended the lead in his re-election bid over Watsonville City Councilmember Jimmy Dutra.
It’s still early, but anyone expecting a major change in local housing policy via Santa Cruz County ballots may be poised for a significant disappointment.
Measure H, the county’s affordable housing bond, is, at this point, well short of the two-thirds majority it needs to pass. The initiative saw a small jump between the initial results, released just after 8 p.m. tonight, and the third round, which were released at 10:30 p.m. The measure is now up to 52.3 percent, up from being below 50 percent in the first round.
Another measure that’s still trailing badly is Measure M, the city of Santa Cruz’s rent control initiative, which is garnering just 33.9 percent of voter support so far.
In the Santa Cruz City Council race, environmental consultant Donna Meyers is currently in first place. Trailing her is environmental educator Justin Cummings, who’s followed by management consultant Greg Larson, Councilmember Richelle Noroyan, community organizer Drew Glover, and psychotherapist Cynthia Hawthorne.
With 10 candidates vying for three City Council seats, it’s far too early to say what will happen. Cummings and Glover are both rising as more results come in. In general, voters who cast their ballots later in the process often lean farther to the left.
Transient occupancy taxes in Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville all look poised to pass, as does Measure G, Santa Cruz County’s sales tax measure. Measure L, Greenway Capitola’s measure, is ahead.
County Supervisor Greg Caput is leading in his race against challenger Jimmy Dutra, a Watsonville city councilmember. Caput is comfortably ahead with 54.2 percent to Dutra’s 44.9 percent.
Rebecca Garcia looks poised to coast to re-election to the Watsonville City Council, and Ari Parker looks poised to win there as well. Francisco Estrada is ahead of Jenny Sarmiento, and Watsonville Mayor Lowell Hurst ran unopposed.
Scotts Valley Mayor Jim Reed and real estate agent Derek Timm are leading in their quest for two seats on the Scotts Valley City Council, ahead of Councilmember Stephany Aguilar.
In the race for three seats on the Capitola City Council, education officer Yvette Brooks, former Mayor Sam Storey and Councilmember Jacques Bertrand are pretty comfortably ahead of ironworker Jack Digby.
Congressmember Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel) and state Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley) are both winning by wide margins, as expected. San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas, who’s also running for the Assembly’s 30th District, which includes Watsonville, is also doing well.
Statewide, Gavin Newsom is projected to win the governorship, while U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is projected to win re-election.
Nationally, Democrats are expected to take control of the House of Representatives, while losing seats in the Senate.
For Santa Cruz County’s full election results, visit: votescount.com.
