This story was most recently updated at 12:04 a.m.

The competitive, expensive fight over Montecito special district seats pitted incumbents against a slate of challengers, and the newcomers won in the end.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting late Tuesday night, all five of the “Water Security Team” candidates, who campaigned as a slate, handily won seats on the water and sanitary district boards, according to preliminary results from the Santa Barbara County Elections Office.

Montecito Water District board candidates Cori Hayman, Brian Goebel and Ken Coates won seats on the five-member board, beating incumbent Dick Shaikewitz. 

After vote-by-mail ballots were counted Tuesday night, Hayman had 26.9 percent of the vote, Goebel had 26.5 percent of the vote, and Coates had 26.4 percent, just eight votes separating him and Goebel.

Shaikewitz, the lone incumbent to run for re-election, had 17.6 percent of the vote. 

Current board members Tobe Plough and Floyd Wicks also contributed money and support to the slate of challengers, which includes the two candidates who won seats on the Montecito Sanitary District board. 

Dana Newquist and Woody Barrett came out ahead in the race for the Montecito Sanitary District board, according to the County Elections Office, beating incumbents Judith Ishkanian and Robert Williams. 

Precinct totals Tuesday night showed Newquist with 28.3 percent of the vote, Barrett with 27.9 percent, Ishkanian falling short of a seat with 22.9 percent and Williams with 20.6 percent. 

The race became a referendum on the status quo, and the campaign rhetoric, and signs, swept over the community in recent weeks.                                                          

Goleta Water District

Goleta Water District board candidates Kathleen Werner and Thomas Evans won the two open seats, according to preliminary election results Tuesday night. Four candidates ran for the spots on the five-member board including: Matias Eusterbrock, Evans, Bobbi McGinnis and Werner.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Werner had 37.9 percent of the vote, Evans had 29.2 percent, Eusterbrock had 26.8 percent and McGinnis had 5.8 percent, with about 30,800 ballots tallied. 

The board will soon have three total new members, since there is a vacant seat expected to be filled by appointment later this month.

Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1 

Three incumbents seem to have kept their seats on the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1, in head-to-head races.

Preliminary results from the Santa Barbara County Elections Office Tuesday night showed Brad Joos was ahead of Allen Anderson with 63.3 percent of the vote to Anderson’s 35.9 percent for the at-large seat. Incumbent Kevin Walsh won 51.2 percent of the vote to beat challenger Brian Schultz’ 48.7 percent in the Division 3 race, and Jeff Clay had 66.3 percent of the vote to Anita Finifrock’s 33.3 percent for the Division 2 race, with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Finifrock and Schultz were initially qualified for the ballot, dropped from the list, and re-added after attorneys questioned whether candidates were required to be landowners in the district (the candidate guide requires candidates to be a qualified elector in their district).

Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story. 

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.