Two political newcomers are on the verge of winning the two open seats on the Culver City Council while the measure to lower the voting age is headed for defeat.

With mail-in ballots still being counted countywide, Dan O'Brien leads the Council race with 3923 votes, followed Denice Renteria with 3244 votes and Freddy Puza with 3110 votes, according to preliminary results released Wednesday morning.

Incumbent Alex Fisch currently sits in fourth place with 3025, trailing Puza by less than 100 votes. The other candidates have smaller tallies. Dr. Khin Khin Gyi received 733 votes while Devin Yaeger managed 634 votes.

In the school board contest, Brian Guerrero leads with 3202 votes, followed by Triston Ezidore with 3040 votes and Stephanie Loredo with 2971 votes. If the numbers hold, these candidates will fill the three open seats on the Board of Education.

Results also show the other contenders with following totals: Howard Adelman, 2712 votes; Darrel Menthe, 2690; incumbent Summer McBride, 2474; and Marci Braun, 2136 votes.

Measure VY – the initiative which would allow 16- and 17-year-old residents to vote in local elections – seems likely to fail with 4395 "no" votes and 3701 votes in favor.

Denice Renteria

Measure BL – which would reform the city's license business tax – is slated to pass with 58% of the voters approving it so far.

State Senator Sydney Kamlager is leading the race to represent Culver City in Congress. She is winning 62% of the votes. Assembly member Isaac Bryan excelled in the race for the 55th District, garnering 80% of the votes.

Clerk officials said they are still tabulating mail-in ballots countywide and they expect to have more results by this weekend.

To reach the newsrrom please email: editor@culvercityobserver.com