10 Nov Shanelle Scales-Preston Increases Slim Lead Over Mike Barbanica in Supes Race

Shanelle Scales-Preston leads the race for District 5 county supervisor by 1,843 votes. (Campaign photo via shanelle4supervisor.org)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

Pittsburg City Councilmember Shanelle Scales-Preston increased her lead over Antioch City Council member Mike Barbanica in the runoff race to succeed Federal Glover on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

According to Friday afternoon’s update from Contra Costa County election officials, Scales-Preston lead widened from 67 votes on Election Night to 1,843 votes.

Scales-Preston had 51.41% percent of the vote (33,610 votes), ahead of Barbanica’s 48.59% (31,767 votes). The results are still unofficial.

Glover — who is retiring at the end of this year, during which he has served as the board’s chair — has held the job of 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 Tuesday’s 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.

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