Cara Stewart, Angely Andrade Vallarta and Kelly Brown hold leads in the race for three open seats on Costa Mesa’s City Council, according to results released after polls closed Tuesday night.
Mike Buley held a lead over Loren Gameros in the race for mayor.
Early returns also showed support for Measure C, which would update the city’s business license tax for the first time in 41 years to raise revenue for general city services.
Costa Mesa is guaranteed four new representatives on the seven-member City Council after all the votes are counted.
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote counts
Council incumbents Manuel Chavez, Andrea Marr and Arlis Reynolds are termed out and unable to run again. So three new faces will fill those seats.
But voters are also selecting a new mayor in either Mike Buley or Loren Gameros, who represent District 1 and District 2 on the council. And whoever wins and slides over on the dais will leave behind a district seat that needs to be filled. Buley leads Gameros with 54% of the vote.
In District 3, Marr’s replacement will be businessman Daniel Morgan or startup advisor Cara Stewart. The seat covers College Park, Mesa del Mar and part of the Eastside. Stewart leads Morgan with 51% of the vote.
In District 4, where Chavez is termed out, businessman Fisher Derderian is challenging nonprofit director Angely Andrade Vallarta. The district includes Westside Costa Mesa. Vallarta has a commanding 67% lead.
Meanwhile, communications director Kelly Brown and technology consultant Steve Smith are contending for District 5, the downtown seat held by Reynolds. Brown leads at 58% of the vote.
The OC Registrar of Voters will update results daily, except weekends, at 5 p.m. until the counting is complete.