13 Nov Shanelle Scales-Preston Grows Lead, Could Be County’s First Black Woman Supervisor

District 5 will be getting new representation on the county Board of Supervisors, and Pittsburg City Council member Shanelle Scales-Preston is leading Antioch councilmember Mike Barbanica in the race to replace the retiring Federal Glover. (Contra Costa County via Bay City News)

By Samantha Kennedy

Pittsburg City Council member Shanelle Scales-Preston is on track to be the first Black woman to serve on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. A Wednesday update to unofficial election results shows she’s increased her lead over Antioch City Council member Michael Barbanica for the District 5 seat. 

Scales-Preston leads with 52.08% of the vote, according to the Contra Costa County Elections Office, receiving 39,961 votes, over Barbanica’s 47.92% with 36, 764 votes. 

Scales-Preston, who held a 1,800 vote lead over Barbanica after the Nov. 8 update, increased her lead again today to about 3,200 votes. It’s the largest of the race yet. 

The Nov. 5 race is a runoff from a March primary where both Scales-Preston and Barbanica failed to receive 50% of the vote. Scales-Preston finished second in that election, with around 35% of the vote, behind Barbanica’s almost 39%. Pittsburg City Council member Jelani Killings placed third in that race. Killings now sits in second in the race for the Pittsburg council, following fellow incumbent Juan Antonio Banales. The top two vote-getters in that contest both win.

On Friday, Scales-Preston sat at 51.41% of the vote, receiving 33, 610 votes over Barbanica’s 48.59% with 31,767 votes. 

Scales-Preston has led Barbanica since initial results came out, but the Nov. 6 update separated the two by only 67 votes. 

Supervisor Federal Glover — who announced his retirement last December — has held the District 5 seat for 24 years and represents Martinez, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Hercules and parts of Antioch and Pinole. He is the first and so far only Black member to serve on the Board of Supervisors since its incorporation in 1850.

>>>Q&A: Before Retirement, Supervisor Federal Glover Looks Back<<<

Scales-Preston previously told the Pulse that a board absent of a person of color “takes away the voices of people of color.” In District 5, over 60% of residents are a person of color, according to data from the county. People of color also make up the majority of District 5 residents in Pittsburg, Hercules and Antioch. The four returning supervisors, none of whose seats were up for election this year, are all white, as is Barbanica.

Glover endorsed Scales-Preston officially a day before the election.

“I am confident that Shanelle is best suited to continue the committed service I have provided for the past 24 years,” he wrote in a Facebook post, “always working on behalf of all our district’s constituents, not just special interest groups.” 

Scales-Preston is also endorsed by several local leaders, including District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis and Banales, currently the Pittsburg Mayor. 

Barbanica, who has served on the Antioch City Council since 2020 and is a retired police officer that once served in Pittsburg, is endorsed by Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston, California state Sen. Steve Glazer and other local leaders in East County. 

County elections officials estimate that over 15,000 ballots are still being processed, according to its website. 

Next unofficial results are expected Nov. 15 at 4 p.m.