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Jones closing in on Gibson in SLO County supervisor race

November 9, 2022

Supervisor Bruce Gibson

By KAREN VELIE

Incumbent San Luis Obispo County District 2 Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s lead over his opponent Dr. Bruce Jones has shrunk as more ballots are counted. Gibson is the front runner with 52.79% followed by Jones with 47.20%.

Gibson led in early mail in ballots – 58.44% to Jones’ 41.66%, according to results released at 8:10 p.m. on Tuesday.

Shortly after midnight, the clerk recorder released the poll voter numbers – 1,369 for Jones and 339 for Gibson.

The candidates are currently separated by 653 votes, with 33.61% of ballots counted, according to unofficial election results. Even so, if the remaining ballots run statistically with poll voters, Jones will win the race.

Dr. Bruce Jones

In 2012, even though incumbent Arroyo Grande mayor Tony Ferrara had 54.4 percent of the vote on election night, by the time remaining ballots were calculated he lost to Jim Hill.

During the past two weeks, negative Gibson ads flooded the airways and filled up mailboxes, after critics of Gibson donated more than $100,000 to two PACs formed to oppose the incumbent’s reelection.

SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow donated $25,000 from his campaign fund to support one of the PACs, noting Gibson’s votes against funding two deputies in North County and a substation in Nipomo.

On Monday, Gibson penned a rebuttal claiming he did support funding a sheriff’s substation in Nipomo, while accusing Dow of partisanship.

However, Gibson did vote against funding the substation and against funding additional deputies.

Based on election regulations in California, it will likely be weeks before a winner in the district 2 supervisor race is called.


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Can anybody here make the case that our county really should have a new sheriff substation in Nipomo? It would be a huge initial expense, and that upkeeping staffing will continue to be expensive in the years to come. For those who really think we should fund a new substation, why don’t you point out the facts and figures to back up that idea? A lot of us think it would be a huge waste of money at this time.


-4

Well said, it takes about 15 minutes to get from Oceano to Nipomo. The same for the trip from Templeton to San Miguel. These times are appropriate for a rural county. It actually takes about 20 minutes for a sheriff to get from Orcutt to Tepusquet Canyon in Santa Barbara County.


That money would be better spent on improving roads or going to the homeless.


-12

Not analogous. Tepusguet Canyon has a few wineries and very few people. Nipomo has over 18,000 people not including rural southern Arroyo Grande.


5

Considering that Bruce Gibson has a long history of winning election after election, I think it’s safe to say the majority of his constituents approve of the job he’s doing representing their particular interests. Isn’t that what he’s supposed to be doing?


-10

I was able to read the first article Karen posted from the Fribune, but not the second. The Fibune wanted $ to read their rag..(NOPE, Not willing to give 1 cent. )

But It sure makes sense now, why HILL didn’t want the Sheriff dept, or any Law enforcement to have any additional funding. Goes to show where his heart was…wanting to hide his own illegal activities?? AND Why Slo County has not recognized his best buddy as being culpable to Hill’s behavior? When he’s was standing next to him the entire time? I mean He was practically sitting in his lap!

I was really bummed when I found out that MB does not get the opportunity to vote for County Supervisor for TWO years! Because of redistricting. Who is the SLO SUPE now for district 2 anyway? Google still says Gibson. I was also told the League of Women Voters are Suing over this issue of 2 years no vote!


2

WTF??? I thought the Richard Patten redistricting map was supposed to favor our beloved GOP? Now we’re gonna have a left leaning Board of Supervisors. I smell a Rat.


-5

Gibson may win because of his name recognition in connection with good or bad press but that said, I didn’t vote for him and I’d like to know when the FBI investigation is to conclude. To often bad actors find protection behind their elected jobs, as was the case with Adam Hill. My opinion is that it would be best to start a new and get staff back to doing public works projects and let the federal government deal with the homeless issues. Think about it, that is a national problem, a tourist area will only attract infinitely more liabilities when we promote, fund and implement costly solutions. This brings us back to fiscal responsibility, something Gibson HAS FOUND in your wallet.


31

You folks don’t get it.

Google San Luis Obispo County elections, click on current elections, click on the hyperlinked “November 8, 2022, General Election”, scroll down to the hyperlinked “Final Unofficial Election Night Results” that will give you a PDF file. Open it for the results, see page 17.

Then compare to hyperlinked “Past Elections” then click the hyperlinked “June 7, 2022 Statewide Direct Primary Election”, then scroll down to “Final Official Election Results (PDF)” that will give you a PDF file. Open it for the results, see page 11.

Compare the two.

UNLESS there are a lot of uncounted ballots remaining, which I don’t think there are, Gibson won.


-34

Here are the numbers for the June 7th primary: 8,150 votes cast for Bruce Gibson and 8,972 for the other 3 candidates for a total of 17,122 votes. The election summary from last night shows only 11,681 votes cast for the district 2 race. So it will take time for the rest of the 7,000 votes to be counted (likely more than that since general elections typically have higher turnout than primary elections).


This leaves 3 possibilities as to the results of the district 2 race:

1. The voters of the 3 republican candidates in the primary consolidated, in which case, Gibson will lose.

2. There were A LOT of democrats that didn’t turn out for the primary that did vote in the general. Tossup to who wins.

3. Some Republican voters defected to vote for Gibson after Auslen and Whitworth were removed from the ballot.


In my estimation, outcome #1 is the most likely scenario.


12

Or … 4. Turnout was much much lower in the General Election than the Primary … Dunno


-1

Even so, if the remaining ballots run statistically with poll voters, Jones will win the race.


Seems like a pretty big “if” with only 7% of poll ballots counted. Will be interesting to see what happens.


17

Think the Clerk Recorder statistics should be read as follows:

Ballots cast in person 1,795; Mail in ballots 10,603; 12,398 total votes cast, out of 36,891 possible. Total number of registered voters in District 2 is 36,891. This indicates a 33.61% turnout (12,398/36,891=0.33607 or 33.61%), not the number of ballots remaining. The number of ballots remaining to be counted is unknown.


-1

Gibson will win because he is the better candidate, really the only candidate. I’ve talked with hundreds of people and not a single one is voting for Jones, I just don’t see how it’s possible that such a unliked candidate could win. I’d expect this kind of mainstream media wishcasting from CCN, we all know what the results really are. We don’t need some news blog telling us, let alone the County Clerk’s Office – what do they know!!!


-103

Get outside your echo chamber. Just drive around town and look at all the signs for Bruce Jones. Are you actually surprised that people want to vote for a respectable doctor rather than a corrupt, vindictive, spiteful, career politician?


74

Think you’re wrong on this. The district is heavily gerrymandered against Gibson. It will be close but it looks like a slight conservative majority will continue to control the board. It was probably time for Gibson to go, it’s just too bad his opponent is a carpetbagger who will be a puppet for Debbie Arnold. I thought Geoff Auslen was the far better candidate originally. At least I know he would be independent.


-47

You’ve “talked to hundreds of people.” Really?


Are they your imaginary friends that go with you everywhere?


Or are these all the people who stop by your mother’s basement to say hello and play video games with you?


12
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