For the first time in decades, voters are selecting someone new to represent San Diego County’s third district.
With all precincts reporting, Democrat Dave Roberts was in a virtual tie with Republican Steve Danon for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors.
As of 7 a.m. on Wednesday, less than 2,000 votes separate the two, with Roberts in a slight lead. Thousands of provisional and absentee ballots were still being counted at the county registrar's office.
The race however had flipped throughout the evening with Danon in the lead and then Roberts.
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Roberts gathered with volunteers to thank them and the voters but was hesitant to claim victory outright.
"I’m very optimistic about the results, the election results still are not certified yet," Roberts said. "We don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch."
The Deputy Mayor of Solana Beach characterized his campaign as a "David and Goliath story" claiming, “We were outspent 7 to 1 and yet we’re still almost 2,000 votes ahead in the current count so we’re feeling very optimistic."
The two-decade incumbent, Pam Slater-Price, is retiring from the public sector, paving the way for the board's first new member since her first term in office 20 years ago.
Danon is Congressman Brian Bilbray's chief of staff, currently on unpaid leave of absence.
Though the race is nonpartisan, the candidates’ opposing political viewpoints will make a difference in how either helps manage the county’s $5 billion budget.
For more election-related news stories and election night results, check out our Decision 2012 page.
