Early election results show Novato school board president Magali Limeta appears to be in the lead for Marin County’s District 5 supervisor seat. Limeta holds nearly half the votes, with 2,603 in her favor out of just 5,680 votes counted as of Tuesday night.
Novato winemaker Andy Podshadley earned 20% of the vote, and 15% went to businessman Chris Carpiniello.
There is a total of five candidates vying for the seat left open by Supervisor Eric Lucan, who is running for state Assembly. Other candidates include chef Curtis Aikens with 11% of the vote and Marc Hunter Lewis trailing with 8% of the vote.
In a debate last month, Limeta, who is endorsed by the Marin Independent Journal and the Marin County Democratic Party, highlighted economic opportunities and pledged to connect entrepreneurs with existing grants and resources at the state and county levels.
Podshadley focused on what he described as unfair permitting requirements, particularly for food trucks, while also advocating stronger support for immigrants pursuing citizenship.
Hunter Lewis emphasized fiscal responsibility, proposing the use of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts to fund climate adaptation projects through future property tax growth.
Carpiniello ran for Novato City Council in 2022 and is endorsed by the Marin County Republicans. He called for reducing regulations, auditing county spending and reviewing local codes to support small businesses.
Aikens proposed low- or zero-interest loans to help longtime residents buy homes and expressed support for immigrant protections. All candidates generally agreed Marin County should improve disaster preparedness.
There was low voter turnout so far in the election, with ballots counted from just 17% of registered voters.
