It’s post-Election Day and the region is still buzzing.
Last night, early results from three major races impacting North County — the 48th Congressional District, the 40th Senate District and District 5 County Board of Supervisors — revealed decisive winners.
Roughly 59 percent of total votes have been counted so far, according to the Registrar of Voters. As they continue rolling in, they reveal an interesting shift in some North County areas where voters seem to be indicating a desire for something different.
Here’s where the local election races in North County stand right now.
Encinitas’ Potential Blue Wave
Two years ago, Encinitas residents elected a slate of conservative-leaning candidates for mayor and two City Council seats. Not long after, those same councilmembers appointed a Republican to a vacant council seat creating a majority of four conservative-leaning councilmembers to one Democrat.
But early voting results show signs of a shift to the left.
Incumbent conservative-leaning Mayor Bruce Ehlers faced challenger Rimga Viskanta, a Democrat. On Tuesday night, early results showed Viskanta leading slightly by 160 votes, but as of Wednesday Ehlers was leading by just 27 votes.
Republican Councilmember Marco San Antonio, who the City Council appointed in 2025, ran against Democrat-backed Brad Lefkowits, who is leading San Antonio by 776 votes.
The lone Democrat on the Council, Joy Lyndes, decided not to run again. Two candidates are vying for her seat — Republican Ed Sprague and Democrat-backed Arielle Golden. As of Wednesday, Golden was leading slightly by 73 votes.
Since 2024, the Council has moved toward more enforcement-driven policies on homelessness and adopted stricter public camping rules. City leadership has also been highly critical of state housing mandates, but that’s a feeling shared by many people from both sides of the aisle in Encinitas.
A Tight Mayoral Race in San Marcos
In San Marcos, former Councilmember Sharon Jenkins, a Democrat, is facing off against current Councilmember Mike Sannella, backed by Republicans, in a competitive race to be San Marcos’ new mayor.
Whoever wins will replace longtime Mayor Rebecca Jones, who just won the District 5 County Board of Supervisors seat.
Jenkins, is hoping to flip the seat currently held by Jones, who is a Republican, and Sannella is hoping to continue Jones’ legacy. The race is still very close with Jenkins ahead of Sannella by just 36 votes.
A Democrat Might Flip a Seat in Escondido
Escondido is another North County city that has held a conservative majority for the past few years. This election, a few newcomers are trying to change that, and one candidate may end up flipping a seat, according to the latest voting results.
In the race for District 2 City Council, incumbent Republican Joe Garcia is trailing behind challenger Anthony Dimartino, who is backed by Democrats. As of Wednesday, Dimartino was leading by 213 votes.
Incumbent Mayor Dane White, a Republican, is also up for reelection and is facing Democrat-backed Elias Velazquez. White is ahead of Velazquez by 1,424 votes.
In District 1, Democrat Councilmember Consuelo Martinez decided not to run for reelection. Democrat Vanessa Valenzuela has won the seat over her opponent Tanner Horsely, a Republican.
DSA Candidate in Vista Still Holding Strong
The race for mayor in Vista has been an interesting one to watch as former Vista City Councilmember Joe Green, a Republican-turned-independent, faces off against Kenneth Zuniga, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
As of Wednesday, Green is leading Zuniga by 470 votes. That margin has narrowed for Green since the initial votes dropped. Whoever wins will replace current mayor John Franklin, a staunch conservative who ran for the District 5 Board of Supervisors seat and lost in the June primary to Rebecca Jones.
In Other Election News
- Del Mar: Two newcomers are beating out Incumbent Councilmember Terry Gaasterland in a four-candidate race for two at-large seats on the Del Mar City Council. Planning Commissioners Meghan Spieker and Jas Grewal are poised to replace Gaasterland and fill the fifth seat on the council, which has been vacant since Dwight Worden’s resignation two years ago. (Union-Tribune)
- Poway: A closely watched three-way race for mayor in Poway has pretty much concluded with incumbent Mayor Steve Vaus taking most of the votes so far. Incumbent District 3 Councilmember Peter De Hoff also held a strong lead over his opponent Wednesday.
- Carlsbad: Incumbents Keith Blackburn, Melanie Burkholder and Priya Bhat-Patel swept the races for Carlsbad mayor and City Council Districts 1 and 3 respectively.
- Oceanside: Incumbents Eric Joyce and Rick Robinson won their reelection bids for District 1 and District 2 respectively.