Valencia maintains lead in Santa Barbara County supervisor race

Ricardo Valencia, a high school teacher, holds a narrow lead in the election for the Fifth District Santa Barbara County supervisor seat. According to county election officials, Valencia has secured 52.92% of the 11,955 ballots counted, leading Maribel Aguilera by 769 votes.

Aguilera, a member of the Santa Maria City Council, currently holds 46.48% of the vote. The race seeks to fill the position of retiring Supervisor Steve Lavagnino. A victory for Valencia, who identifies as a progressive, would represent a political shift in the historically right-leaning district.

Valencia has received endorsements from the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and various labor unions. Aguilera, running as a centrist, has received support from the Santa Barbara County Republicans and several local police and firefighter unions.