Santa Barbara Mayor: Friedman Leads Sneddon by 374 Votes in Updated Count

UPDATED NOVEMBER 4, 2026 — official final election-night release: Eric Friedman now leads Kristen Sneddon by 374 votes, with 9,475 votes (46.53%) for Friedman and 9,101 (44.69%) for Sneddon. Wendy Sims-Moten has 1,185 (5.82%) and Matt Kilrain 520 (2.55%), with 83 write-ins. The Santa Barbara County Elections report lists 47 of 47 precincts reported, but the election is unofficial and not certified. Official source: Santa Barbara County Elections, Election Night — Final Update Unofficial Results. The earlier report is preserved below for comparison.

EARLIER NOVEMBER 4 SNAPSHOT — SANTA BARBARA. Eric Friedman was ahead of Kristen Sneddon in the first overnight returns for mayor of Santa Barbara, with a relatively narrow margin and other candidates also on the ballot. The Santa Barbara Independent’s 11 p.m. November 3 report listed 8,803 votes (47.02%) for Friedman and 8,370 (44.71%) for Sneddon, a difference of 433 votes.

Four named candidates

Wendy Sims-Moten had 1,031 votes (5.51%), and Matt Kilrain received 443 (2.37%) in the same first-night report. The percentages refer to votes reported in this mayoral contest, not to citywide turnout.

Other city elections

Santa Barbara’s council races had their own district electorates. In District 4, Devon Wardlow led with 2,506; in District 5, Ian Baucke had 2,409; and in District 6, Gabe Escobedo had 1,657 in the source snapshot. These offices are distinct from the mayoral election.

Why the count remains open

Santa Barbara’s mayor participates in city decisions on housing, public safety, infrastructure and budgets. County election officials will process additional eligible ballots after November 3, meaning the mayoral order cannot be treated as certified.

Sources and status: Santa Barbara Independent’s 11 p.m. November 3 local result table, checked against Noozhawk’s election-night reporting. The Santa Barbara County Elections Office is responsible for official reporting and certification. These figures are preliminary snapshots and may change as valid ballots are added during the canvass.

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