Pittsburg City Councilmember Shanelle Scales-Preston increased her lead over Antioch City Councilmember Mike Barbanica to 3,197 votes in the latest results released Wednesday in the runoff race to succeed Federal Glover on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.Â
Results released Wednesday afternoon by the county Elections Office said Scales-Preston (39,961 votes) increased her lead over Barbanica (36,764 votes) from 1,843 votes on Friday and 657 votes on Election Night.
The results are still unofficial.
Glover is retiring at the end of this year, during which he has served as the board’s chair. The former Pittsburg City Council member has served as District 5 supervisor since 1999.
Barbanica and Scales-Preston finished first and second in the March primary. However, neither garnered more than 50% of the vote, making the Nov. 5 runoff necessary.
District 5 includes Hercules, Rodeo, Crockett, Martinez, Bay Point, Pacheco, Clyde, Pittsburg, and parts of Antioch and Marsh Creek.
Barbanica is a real estate broker and former Pittsburg police officer. Much of his support comes from police officers’ associations and law enforcement officials, including Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston.
Scales-Preston, who works for U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, is chair of the board for local electricity provider MCE. She’s also the chair of TransPlan, which coordinates regional transportation projects and transit services in East County, She’s also president of the League of California Cities’ East Bay Division.