And the winners of the 2020 election are . . .

November 3, 2020

Here we are, live in CalCoastNews Election Central, waiting for the first returns to be posted. Check with us throughout the evening as we report on the results from San Luis Obispo County voters.

And feel free to add comments as we go along. We want to make this as interactive as possible. Glad to have you along.

8:00

Getting started at the CCN Election Central. Polls closed. Who’s ready for some results?

8:30

To start off, no surprise. Joe Biden wins California. Early results show Biden with about 70% of the vote in the Golden State.

As for how SLO County voted, initial tally has 61% for Biden, 37% for Trump.

8:35

The initial tally shows, despite the criticism she has endured this year, San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon has a strong chance of being reelected. SLO mayor’s race initial tally:

Heidi Harmon – 54.73%

Cherisse Sweeney – 31.39%

Sandra Marshall-Eminger – 12.44%

Donald Hedrick – 1.44%

Meanwhile, in the SLO council race, incumbent Andy Pease and former mayor Jan Marx lead newcomer Abrianna Torres and five other candidates vying for 2 seats.

Pease – 25.13%

Marx – 20.84%

Torres – 16.27%

James Papp – 11.58%

Kelly Evans – 11.16%

Candidates Robin Wolf, Erik Long and Jeffery Specht each well below 10%.

8:40

Sticking to the city of SLO, Measure G, the sales tax increase, is currently passing.

Yes – 60%

No – 40%

8:50 

Initial tally on the 24th District congressional race:

Salud Carbajal – 63.2%

Andy Caldwell -36.8%

That’s with 34.4% of precincts partially reporting. Looking like Carbajal will keep his congressional seat.

8:55

The 35th District State Assembly race is neck and neck, at least to start.

Jordan Cunningham – 50.9%

Dawn Addis – 49.1%.

That’s with 16.8% of precincts partially reporting.

9:00

In Pismo Beach, Mayor Ed Waage is leading challenger and former KSBY anchor, Dan Shadwell, while Councilman Erik Howell is at risk of losing both his city council and Coastal Commission seats.

Mayor:

Waage – 58.41%

Shadwell – 41.59%

5 candidates are running for 2 council seats. It appears 3 still stand a chance of winning:

Scott Newton – 34.51%

Marcia Guthrie (incumbent) – 25.05%

Erik Howell (incumbent) – 22.80%

9:05

In the initial results, all local sales tax measures are passing. Some of the sales tax measures are closer than others.

9:15

Incumbents leading in all 5 mayoral races in SLO County. Initial tally indicates only Atascadero and Morro Bay have competitive mayoral races.

Atascadero:

Heather Moreno – 43.08%

Jerry Tanimoto – 36.12%

Josh Donovan – 20.81%

Morro Bay:

John Headding – 53.21%

John Weiss – 46.79%

9:30

The only sales tax initiative passing by a margin of less than 10%, according to the initial tally, is Grover Beach’s Measure F-20.

Yes – 54.52%

No – 45.48

Sales tax measures in Atascadero, Morro Bay, Paso Robles and SLO are passing by margins of about 15-20%, according to the initial tally.

9:50

Democrat John Laird will replace termed-out Sen. Bill Monning in the California State Senate. With 39.8% of precincts reporting in the 17th State Senate District:

John Laird – 69.2%

Vicki Nohrden – 30.8%

10:00

In the close Atascadero council race, incumbent Charles Bourbeau leads a field of 5 candidates vying for 2 seats:

Bourbeau – 27.96%

Mark Dariz – 24.52%

Tori Keen – 24.39%

Nicholas Mattson – 17.38%

Bret Heinemann – 5.74%

10:10

Grover Beach has 3 council seats (2 different races) up for grabs.

Incumbent Karen Bright leads a 5-person race for 2 council seats:

Bright – 31.24%

Anna Miller – 23.28%

Will Bruce – 16.68%

Daniel Rushing – 15.35%

Joseph Holmes – 13.42%

Robert Robert leads a 3-person race for 1 council seat with a 2-year term:

Robert Robert – 33.76%

Fred Buenrostro Jr. – 33.01%

David Duringer – 32.40%

10:20

Obviously, the presidential election is too close to call. We’ll stick to local races for now.

10:20

Big jump in the number of precincts reporting in the close 35th District State Assembly Race.

With 73% of precincts partially reporting:

Jordan Cunningham – 51.2%

Dawn Addis – 48.8%

10:30

In Morro Bay, incumbent Robert “Red” Davis leads a 4-person race for 2 seats:

Davis – 28.04%

Laurel Barton – 27.83%

Betty Winholtz – 22.56%

Richard Sadowski – 21.56%

10:35 

A look at the California proposition picture with 61% of statewide precincts partially reporting:

10:50

Despite facing allegations pertaining to marijuana-related corruption, Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee is trouncing challenger Elizabeth Doukas in the initial tally:

Lee – 70.59%

Doukas – 29.34%

11:00

35th Assembly District with 73% of precincts partially reporting:

Cunningham – 51.3%

Addis – 48.7%

11:25

New SLO County numbers came in at 11:13. Race updates coming…

With all precincts reporting:

Heidi Harmon is cruising to victory with 54% of the vote and a lead of more than 21% over apparent 2nd place finisher Cherisse Sweeney.

Andy Pease and Jan Marx appear to be on their way to claiming the two SLO council seats, but Abrianna Torres is within 5% of Marx.

Pease – 24.60%

Marx – 20.54%

Torres – 16.81%

11:40

Morro Bay mayor’s race has tightened a bit, but Headding still has a 5% lead over Weiss.

John Headding – 52.48%

John Weiss – 47.46%

11:45

In Atascadero, Moreno still has a strong lead over Tanimoto, who is in 2nd place.

Heather Moreno – 43.41%

Jerry Tanimoto – 35.41%

Waage and definitely Lee are cruising to victory in the South County mayoral races. Lee is still defeating Doukas by a margin of more than 50%.

11:50

In the complex Grover Beach council race, Karen Bright has been reelected, and it appears Anna Miller has won a council seat, as she holds a lead of more than 6% over Will Bruce in 3rd place.

The 3-way race for a single 2-year seat on the Grover Beach council stands as follows:

Robert Robert – 34.21%

Fred Buenrostro Jr. – 32.53%

David Duringer – 32.45%

Buenrostro has overcome a troubled past to put up a serious challenge for this 2-year council seat.

11:55

In Morro Bay, incumbent Davis and Laurel Barton are on track to be the winners in the council race, but all 4 candidates remain within a spread of 7%.

Robert “Red” Davis – 28.03%

Laurel Barton – 27.60%

Betty Winholtz – 22.66%

Richard Sadowski – 21.70%

12:00

At midnight, with 76.8% of precincts partially reporting:

Cunningham – 51.6%

Addis – 48.4%

It’s still close, but looking more likely Jordan Cunningham will win reelection.

12:10

A look at the California proposition picture with 76.7% of statewide precincts partially reporting:

12:15

All local sales tax measures appear to be passing with ease. Only Grove Beach’s sales tax measure is passing by a margin of less than 10%:

Yes – 54.15%

No – 45.85%

12:20

Will Erik Howell remain a Coastal Commissioner? Pismo Beach council race:

Newton – 34.80%

Guthrie – 24.53%

Howell – 22.76%

12:25

Meanwhile, the race for 1 of the 2 Atascadero council seats is neck and neck. Incumbent Bourbeau has likely won reelection, with 27.83% of the vote. The other two contenders are:

Mark Dariz – 24.52%

Tori Keen – 24.29%

12:35

In Paso Robles, councilmen Fred Strong and Steve Gregory have both been reelected. Strong had an opponent, while Gregory did not in what was the first by-district council election in the county.

12:45

We’ll close things out in the CCN Election Central tonight with Cunningham still leading Addis 51.6% to 48.4%, with 76.8% of precincts partially reporting… and of course the next president of the United States still to be decided.

Thanks for following along.