In the hotly contested Escondido mayor race, early results show incumbent Sam Abed capturing 63 percent of the votes over Deputy Mayor Olga Diaz.
With 30 percent of ballots counted, Abed had garnered 7,351 of the votes over Diaz's 3,546 votes.
Diaz; who has served on the Escondido City Council for six years with Abed, a staunch Republican businessman; is a Democrat in Republican-heavy Escondido.
The contentious Escondido mayoral race was as much about the local Proposition H -- and the candidates' viewpoints on the proposition -- as the candidates vying for the seat.
The proposition would have turned the former Escondido Country Club golf course into a housing track with up to 430 homes. Early results show the proposition losing, with 61 percent of voters saying no.
Opponents of the proposition were celebrating Tuesday night at a wine bar in downtown Escondido.
"Now it's time to set aside our differences and work together to develop a plan that's good for everyone," 'No on H' campaign consultant Tony Manolatos said in a statement Tuesday evening.
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Proponents had pumped more than $1 million into the "Yes on H" campaign, but it apparently wasn't enough to sway voters.
Many thought the area surrounding the country club didn't have the infrastructure and water for the project.
"I think it's a real comment on how hard people work, but also it's a reminder that money doesn't necessarily trump message and hard work by volunteers," said John Hoy, "No on H" campaign consultant.
Michael Schlesinger, the owner of property behind Proposition H, issued this statement:
"Unfortunately, no one 'won' tonight. All you have to do is look at the current condition of the property. Our team and those who support us will move forward to restore the accurate and original zoning of the land through the legal system. We are very confident that we will prevail in the California courts."
Diaz favored the proposition, saying it was a good compromise for the community because the property owner agreed to add a public pool and recreation center.
Abed stayed neutral on the issue, noting he wants to leave the decision up to voters.
Late last month, Abed was on track to raise a record $250,000 for his campaign; Diaz has raised about half of that.
