Ricardo Valencia was leading the Santa Barbara County Fifth District supervisor race in updated results Tuesday night, with 51.7% of the vote. Maribel Aguilera had 47.7% of the vote.
The County Elections Office released the semi-official election night results around 1:48 a.m. and will have updated counts in the coming days as more ballots are processed.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors seat represents Santa Maria’s northern neighborhoods, the city of Guadalupe and the unincorporated Tanglewood subdivision.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino currently holds the seat and will step down when his term expires in December. Lavagnino was first elected to the board in 2010.
The candidates include Maribel Aguilera, an attorney and Santa Maria City Council member, and Ricardo Valencia, a high school teacher and Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member.
smiles while talking to supporters Tuesday night. Credit: Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo
Valencia said more than one person suggested he run for the county supervisor job and he finally decided he needed to follow his own advice to his students: Believe in yourself.
He said his diverse team included students, minorities, LGBTQ and more — “And that’s a strength, not a deficit.
“We are literally Donald Trump’s nightmare and that’s what gives me hope,” he added.
“It’s amazing what we can do when we are multi-racial, multi-cultural coalition,” Valencia said.
Results remained close as additional ballot counts were released Tuesday night.
“We’ve got to be patient with the process and I’m super happy with our campaign,” Aguilera said.
Valencia and Aguilera were the top vote-getters in the June primary, finishing ahead of Cory Bantilan in a three-way race.
Aguilera has 16 years of combined service on the Santa Maria Planning Commission and the Santa Maria City Council. She represents District 4 on the council, where she goes by the name Maribel Aguilera Hernandez.
During her campaign, Aguilera has called for the county to get out of its own way.
She’s called for an ombudsman dedicated to helping small businesses navigate the county’s permitting process. She also called for streamlining the process and trimming development fees.
She said the high cost of living is a major issue for voters, and many college graduates cannot find jobs in the field they studied in school. She supports workforce housing projects and funding for public safety agencies and road infrastructure.
Valencia has served on the school board for six years.
If elected to the Board of Supervisors, Valencia said his goals would include creating more opportunities for working-class families.
Valencia said one of his goals would be to prioritize housing and that he would like to follow the county’s lead by building workforce housing. He also has advocated for expanded childcare throughout the county.
He said his other objective would be to protect immigrant families from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Valencia has called for an ordinance similar to one in Los Angeles County that would require ICE agents to obtain signed judicial warrants.
The winner of the November election will join Second District Supervisor Laura Capps, who was re-elected in June, and fellow supervisors Roy Lee, Joan Hartmann and Bob Nelson.
Semi-official election results were released around 1:48 a.m. Wednesday and additional updates will be released in the coming days as more ballots are processed and counted. Final, certified results will be available by Dec. 3.
