Gage edges out Craig by 18 votes in District 2 supervisor race; recount is possible.

If the final tally holds, Glenn Church will face Regina Gage in the November general election runoff for Monterey County District 2 supervisor after Gage narrowly held off Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig for second place in the crowded six-candidate race to represent North County. 

After nearly three weeks of counting and tracking down ballots, the county elections office announced the final numbers of the June 7 primary election on Friday, June 24 at 4:59pm. Church came in first place, with 3,684 votes and a 33.53 percent vote share; Gage remained in second with 2,170 votes and 19.75 percent share; and Craig finishing third with 2,152 votes and a 19.59 percent share, with Stephen Snodgrass, Adriana Melgoza Ramirez and Grant Leonard rounding out the bottom three. 

Despite the results being finalized June 24, Craig has five days to decide whether she will request a recount. She says she is getting together with her team this weekend to consider her options. Craig says she would have to finance the recount and determine whether it is a hand count or electronic. The county elections office was closed Friday night and could not clarify the process required for a recount. 

Craig emphasized that she is "clear-eyed" about the results and does not think there was any sort of election fraud. 

"This is a clear example of where voting matters," Craig says. "I'm incredibly grateful to the 11,342 people who voted but there are [41,896] eligible voters in the district. The margin here is so minute. In local elections, your vote absolutely does count." 

The margin between Gage and Craig represents 0.0004 percent of eligible voters and 0.001 percent of ballots cast. Gage did not respond to the Weekly's request for comment. 

Should Craig decide to not pursue a recount, or if the recount solidifies the initial final tally, Craig will have another decision to make: whether to put her name on the ballot for Salinas mayor in November. She said that question remains unresolved as of yet. 

"I would be lying if I said that that question didn't cross my mind, but I've been focused on this election," Craig says.