Four seats were up for grabs on the Watsonville City Council, two were competitive races. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)
City of Watsonville Councilmember - Dist 3 (vote for 1)
Candidate Total MARIA OROZCO 724 (97.44%) Unqualified Write In 19 (2.56%) City of Watsonville Councilmember - Dist 4 (vote for 1)
Candidate Total KRISTAL SALCIDO 605 (97.58%) Unqualified Write In 15 (2.42%) City of Watsonville Councilmember - Dist 5 (vote for 1)
Candidate Total CASEY CLARK 325 (51.51%) ANGEL ZUNIGA 299 (47.39%) Unqualified Write In 7 (1.11%) City of Watsonville Councilmember - Dist 7 (vote for 1)
Candidate Total ED ACOSTA 701 (52.47%) NANCY A BILICICH 631 (47.23%) Unqualified Write In 4 (0.30%)
WATSONVILLE >> Early election results showed incumbent Watsonville City Councilmember Casey Clark leading in District 5 and Ed Acosta leading in District 7 as of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.
About 30 votes separated Clark from opponent Angel Zuniga.
Vote tallies will continue to be updated throughout the night and in the coming days. Final election results must be certified by Dec. 3.
In District 7, former Watsonville City Councilmember Nancy Bilicich faces Ed Acosta, a Santa Cruz County Board of Education trustee. Ed Acosta leads with 52.4% of the vote, compared with 47.2% for Nancy Bilicich.
Two other incumbent council members are running unopposed. María Orozco seeks reelection in District 3, while Mayor Kristal Salcido seeks another term in District 4.
In Santa Cruz Local and Noticias Watsonville’s voter guide, candidates shared their approaches to addressing some of residents’ biggest concerns, including the rising cost of living, affordable housing, public safety and economic development.
Results will be updated multiple times tonight and throughout the week. Follow our election results page for the latest news.
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Erandi García reports on the Latino community, covering issues and decisions that shape life in the Pajaro Valley and across Santa Cruz County. "My goal is to provide accurate, accessible journalism that helps the migrant residents stay informed and engaged in their communities. I live in the Pajaro Valley and enjoy spending time with my family, exploring local events and staying connected with the community I have called home for most of my life."
Before joining Santa Cruz Local, Erandi spent more than a decade as a television journalist, reporting and anchoring for Spanish-language news. Her reporting focused on public safety, local government, immigration, crime, education and agriculture. Most recently, she served as Director of Community Outreach and Education at Hospice Giving Foundation, where she led bilingual outreach initiatives and worked with community partners throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
