With a total of 233 registered voters in Sand City, the tiny margins of victory have made the race too close to call for city council.
As of a 2pm update on Nov. 5, local businessman Luke Kilpatrick leads for Sand City City Council with 51 votes. Federal worker Justin Rumps is close behind to claim the second open council seat with 39 votes. They were the only two candidates on the ballot for the two open city council seats.
But current city councilmember Kim Scudder, who missed the filing deadline and ran as a write-in candidate, has 32 write-in votes. With Scudder just seven votes behind Rumps, none of the candidates have proclaimed victory as every vote count released by Monterey County could change the race.
The three have faced off for council before – back in February, when Scudder was appointed to the seat, she competed with Kilpatrick and Rumps for the role.
Salvatore Carbone, a local businessman and the husband of Sand City mayor Mary Ann Carbone, also ran as a write-in candidate and has obtained 13 write-in votes.
The only person who won't have to worry about any incoming results is incumbent mayor Mary Ann Carbone, who ran unopposed. As of a 2pm update on Nov. 5, she has received 75 votes.
Mary Ann Carbone has been the mayor of Sand City since 2017, and was on the council for over 25 years before that.