Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen and George Weiss were ahead Tuesday night in the first tranche of election results for Laguna Beach City Council.
Whalen and Weiss respectively earned 24.98% and 22.4% of the initial votes. They were followed by Ruben Flores with 21.09%, Larry Nokes with 19.14%, and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow with 12.39%.
In a phone interview with the Independent, Weiss said Tuesday night that he’s grateful for the initial returns from voters. He stopped short of declaring victory.
“Assuming two-thirds of the votes have been counted, I think based on what I see, I’m feeling pretty good,” Weiss said.
He hopes to rebalance the City Council toward prioritizing the needs of residents over the business community and visitors.
“Everyone fought a very civil campaign so I congratulate them for that,” Weiss said. “It creates a sense obligation on my part to really represent all residents on city council.”
Whalen didn’t immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment Tuesday night.
The ballot returns reflect mixed feelings about voters’ confidence in the current city council. On one hand, Whalen’s early lead among a slate of candidates validates the status quo. On the other, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow’s fifth-place finish reflects a voters’ interest in shaking up the council.
If early returns hold their course, the election would be a draw between candidates endorsed by Village Laguna and Liberate Laguna PAC. In 2018, Councilmembers Peter Blake and Sue Kempf were elected with the support of Liberate Laguna—which has been under consistent fire by political enemies this election season because it’s largely supported by three local households involved with real estate development: Samuel Goldstein, Michael Ray, and Cindy Shopoff.
A fourth-place finish by Nokes would be surprising considering Liberate Laguna has spent tens of thousands of dollars on political advertising to help elect him.
As mayor, Whalen was the public face of Laguna Beach’s decision to close city-owned breaches and trailheads in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He also spearheaded a council subcommittee that produced a comprehensive study of Laguna Beach’s very-high wildfire risk and mitigation measures.
Weiss co-founded the Laguna Residents First PAC to help push back against developer influence at city hall. He’s opposed the City Council’s recent decision to revisit building a parking structure at the Village Entrance. Ruben Flores and Weiss were endorsed by Village Laguna.
Tuesday’s results could signal a pause in Dicterow’s official role in Laguna Beach politics, which stretches back to 1994. The Brooklyn native has served in his latest tenure on the City Council since 2012.
“I’m not sure why but every Laguna-person pictured in every story has THAT LOOK on their face. Could be LSD residuals in the water.”