Ralph Rubio holds seat as Seaside mayor, Kayla Jones ousts Ian Ogelsby.

Just before the first results come in after 8pm, Seaside Mayor Ralph Rubio is calm, if a bit uneasy.

“There’s always anxiety,” he says, “and I’ve been doing this for 16 years.”

Sitting at a table in Gusto, Rubio is co-hosting an election night party with Councilmember Ian Oglesby, who’s also competing to keep his seat, and supporters are just starting to pour in to fill out the tables in the back of the restaurant. Gusto’s staff, meanwhile—as Donald Trump’s lead in the polls is displayed on big screen TVs behind them—are laying out a buffet on the bar with bruschetta, pizza, meatballs and butternut squash ravioli.

This year’s Seaside races were crowded, with four mayoral candidates—Rubio, Kay Cline of Sustainable Seaside, former mayor Felix Bachofner, and political newcomer Gertrude Smith—as well as three candidates for two City Council seats, with incumbents Oglesby and Dave Pacheco hoping to fend off college-student challenger Kayla Jones.

When the first results come in, Rubio, sitting in front of a laptop, cheers loudly when seeing he has about a 6-percent lead. Oglesby, a few tables away, is trailing Kayla Jones by about 10 percent, and is hesitant to read too much into it, while Pacheco holds a comfortable first-place lead.

“It’s too early, it’s the first go-around,” Oglesby says.

Rubio, on the other hand, says he is “cautiously optimistic.”

At Smith’s party at Mountain Mike’s, as her supporters munch on all kinds of pizza, she is in good spirits before learning the first round of results. When she sees those results, her mood sinks.

“Whichever way it goes, people are going to see me as a spoiler,” she says.

At the Press Club, where Cline and Jones—both outspoken Monterey Downs opponents—are having a party, the mood is jubilant. Cline is losing by 6 percent to Rubio, but Jones, after the second round of votes is reported, is holding her wide lead over Oglesby.

Some are drinking fresh-pressed juice—perhaps to prepare for the Trump era—but just as many are drinking wine, perhaps for the same reason.

Cline is happy, despite trailing, because Jones is currently ahead.

“I’m thrilled if she wins,” she says.

Jones is likewise thrilled, and feels empowered.

“This Trump hysteria is not going to happen in Seaside. I’m just motivated to fight the Trump presidency at the local level,” she says.

If Jones wins, she’ll be the first female elected to office in Seaside since 1996. City Council may also soon vote on a potential referendum with respect to Monterey Downs, which could swing 3-2 against the project.