Incumbent Debbie Arnold is leading the District 5 County Board of Supervisor race with 56.74 percent of the votes. The 7,868 votes for Arnold will likely secure her third term in the position.
District 5 covers the San Luis Obispo area and yakʔitʸutʸu residence halls.
Beraud has received 43.14 percent of the votes, according to the County Clerk Recorder Office. All precincts are reporting.
District 5
Arnold was supported by four organizations, as well as 29 past and current government officials, including State Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow.
The key issues that Arnold’s campaign focused on leading up to the election was eliminating failed government programs, promoting the economy, protecting rural areas and promote public safety through the police and fire department, according to Arnold’s campaign website. Other issues that Arnold has addressed are homelessness, affordable housing and groundwater plans.
Arnold was challenged by Beraud, whose campaign focused on the issues of the Santa Margarita gravel mine, sensible cannabis regulations, roads and infrastructure, housing, sustainable groundwater management and child care, according to her campaign website.
Although the position of supervisor is nonpartisan, Arnold is a registered Republican who gained support from Republican organizations like the Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County.
Arnold has been supervisor for seven years, but formerly she was a preschool teacher, legislative aid at the county supervisor’s office and a San Luis Obispo District Representative for the State Assembly with former Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee.
As supervisor, Arnold has been involved in the increase of funding for law enforcement, the construction of 40 Prado Homeless Services Center and the advocacy for road maintenance.
Arnold was the only supervisor that voted for the Phillip 66 rail spur that would transport millions of gallons of oil to the Nipomo Mesa refinery. Arnold’s campaign was endorsed by oil companies, according to The Tribune.
“People often ask me why I do this job but again we have a beautiful county here, a wonderful county, and I think the way to just make it affordable and available to everyone is just bring some real-life practical experience to the policy-making bodies and take into consideration everybody’s needs and then try as hard as we can to meet those needs,” Arnold told Mustang News in a previous interview.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect the fact that there are additional “vote by mail” ballots to be counted.