After a long and contentious electoral race, the time has come for Redondo Beach voters to elect their next treasurer.
A run-off election on May 14 yielded two final contenders: termed-out council member and businessman Steve Diels and finance professional and NoPowerPlant.com activist Dawn Esser.
Diels has been campaigning on a promise to reduce the treasurer’s salary – a move that would require an amendment to the City Charter – and Esser has billed herself as the more qualified candidate whose financial experience better prepares her for the job of managing the city’s money.
The run-off election for the treasurer’s position was conducted entirely by mail to save costs.
City Clerk Eleanor Manzano is calling the below results “semi-official” – city staff still have to verify signatures affixed to 455 ballots that were dropped off at City Hall on Tuesday – but tentatively, Diels has won the race.
“Tomorrow and the next day we’ll verify with the county and on Monday we will come back at noon here at the Chamber and we’ll do the final results,” Manzano said.
Manzano also said voter turnout at this run-off was significantly higher than at the May 21 run-off, which also comprised races for the position of mayor and for two council seats.
“This is the highest vote-by-mail [turnout] we’ve had,” Manzano said.
[LIVE BLOG]
8: 25 p.m. Precinct 1, District 1
Steve Diels: 1,285 (58.2%)
Dawn Esser: 920 (41.7%)
Precinct turnout: 2,212 (of 8,839 voters) or 25%
8:29 p.m. District 2, Precinct 7
Steve Diels: 932 (44.5%)
Dawn Esser: 1,158 (55.4%)
Precinct turnout: 2,096 (of 8,850 voters) or 23.6%
8:33 p.m. District 3, Precincct 3
Steve Diels: 1,064 (57.1%)
Dawn Esser: 799 (42.8%)
Precinct turnout: 1,870 (of 8,916 voters) or 20.9%
8:40 p.m. District 4, Precinct 2
Steve Diels: 938 (66.8%)
Dawn Esser: 466 (33.1%)
Precinct turnout: 1,409 (of 8,462 voters) or 16.6%
8:45 p.m. District 5, Precinct 23
Steve Diels: 863 (57.2%%)
Dawn Esser: 644 (42.7%)
Precinct turnout: 1,514 (of 8,685 voters) or 17.4%
8:47 p.m. Summary of results from mailed-in ballots
Steve Diels: 5,083 (56%)
Dawn Esser: 3,987 (43.9%)
Citywide turnout: 9,101 (20.8%)
