The Coast News Group
Some races are still too close to call, including the battle for Oceanside City Council District 1. File photo
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Sanchez, Lowery battle in Oceanside; Desmond, Bates roll

From blowouts to razor thin margins, many local races have yet to be decided.

Conversely, San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond rolled to victory over Michelle Gomez for the open seat in District 5 for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. As of the morning of Nov. 7, Desmond was up 60 percent to 40 percent with 61 percent of precincts reporting.

The seat was held by Bill Horn for 24 years, but changes to term limits opened it up for a new face.

“I am deeply grateful to the voters of North County for electing me to the Board of Supervisors,” Desmond said. “As I have said often during this campaign, I intend to focus on the critical services that citizens demand of their county government: improving streets, roads and infrastructure, keeping people safe, ensuring efficient public health services and addressing housing affordability and homelessness.”

In Oceanside, Districts 1 and 2 were up for election in the city’s first district election. Incumbents Chuck Lowery and Esther Sanchez are locked in close race for District 1, with Sanchez taking a slim 83-vote lead over Lowery as of the last reporting cycle and with 100 percent reporting.

According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, about 490,000 ballots are outstanding countywide, although there is no official count for how many remain in Oceanside.

Christopher Rodriguez is blowing out the field in District 2, gathering 43 percent followed by Dana Corso with 26 percent. Former Mayor Terry Johnson had just 16 percent. In the race for treasurer, Victor Roy appears to have won with a 53-45 win (2,532 vote difference) over Rafe Trickey Jr.

The No on Measure Y camp is in good spirits after capturing a 54-46 win. The measure would have required majority voter approval for any application change to the General Plan land use designation or zoning for agricultural use or open space.

As for the Oceanside Unified School District board of trustee races, Eric Joyce appears victorious in Area 1 with 40 percent, while Stacy Begin racked up 62 percent in Area 2.

In another blowout, State Sen. Pat Bates will retain her seat thanks to a 54-46 percent win over challenger Marggie Castellano. Bates, who is the minority leader in the senate, the senate republican leader, is just the second woman from either party to lead a caucus and was first elected to the senate in 2014.

Castellano won the San Diego County region by about 3,000 votes, but Bates dominated her home area of Orange County, outpacing her challenger by nearly 23,000 votes.

“I’m pleased to have earned the support from so many people in both Orange and San Diego counties,” said Bates (R-Laguna Niguel). “I’ll continue to build on my efforts to address the opioid epidemic, devote more dollars to classrooms, increasing public safety throughout our region, and protecting our oceans and coastlines.”