04 Dec Contra Costa Elects First Black Woman Supervisor

Shanelle Scales-Preston will move from Pittsburg City Council to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. (Campaign photo via shanelle4supervisor.org)

By Samantha Kennedy

Pittsburg City Council member Shanelle Scales-Preston officially made history this week after certified election results showed she won the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors, defeating Antioch City Council member Michael Barbanica. Scales-Preston will be the first Black woman and second person of color to serve on the board. 

“This campaign has always been about serving the needs of our residents,” Scales-Preston said in a Nov. 20 Facebook post ahead of certified results, “and I look forward to doing so with unwavering passion and dedication.” 

Scales-Preston will succeed Supervisor Federal Glover, who served in the seat for 24 years as the board’s first and so far only person of color after sitting on the Pittsburg City Council. Glover announced his retirement last December and endorsed Scales-Preston the day before the election, saying she was “best suited to continue the committed service” he provided. 

District 5 covers Pittsburg, Bay Point, Martinez, Hercules and parts of Antioch as well as several unincorporated communities, including Bay Point. 

Scales-Preston won 52.16% of the vote, totaling more than 41,300 votes over Barbanica’s 37,896 votes.

Barbanica asked supporters to get behind Scales-Preston as the District 5 supervisor in a Nov. 23 YouTube video. He said he reached out to Scales-Preston, but “the phone went to voicemail.” 

Scales-Preston maintained her lead over Barbanica while votes were counted, increasing her initial 67-vote lead on Nov. 6 to over 3,000 by the time results were certified. 

Barbanica and Scales-Preston first faced off in a March primary, finishing second and first, respectively, ahead of Pittsburg City Council member Jelani Killings. The two did not receive 50% of the vote, so November’s runoff was necessary to declare a winner. 

In addition to Glover, Scales-Preston was endorsed by U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Mark DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, District 1 Supervisor John Gioia and various unions. 

Scales-Preston will be sworn into the District 5 seat in January.