Viskanta Takes Narrow Lead in Encinitas Mayor Race
Updated preliminary returns from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters show Rimga Viskanta ahead of Bruce Ehlers by 73 votes.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Elections
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Rimga Viskanta moved ahead of Bruce Ehlers in the Encinitas mayoral race, with 10,373 votes (50.18%) to Ehlers's 10,300 (49.82%) in updated preliminary returns. The early results are unofficial and subject to further county counts.
Why it matters
The margin shifted by roughly 100 votes between two counts, underscoring how close the Encinitas contest remains. Several other North County council and mayoral races in San Marcos, Vista and Escondido are also separated by fewer than 100 to a few hundred votes.
Viskanta gained 621 votes between the two counts while Ehlers gained 521, leaving a 73-vote margin in preliminary returns. The Registrar of Voters has not certified these results, and about 475,000 countywide ballots were still being processed.
The players
San Diego County Registrar of Voters
The county office responsible for administering elections and publishing vote counts across San Diego County.
Rimga Viskanta
A candidate in the Encinitas mayoral race who moved into the lead in updated preliminary returns.
Bruce Ehlers
A candidate in the Encinitas mayoral race who led in the earlier count before falling behind.
The details
The San Diego County Registrar of Voters issues updated preliminary returns in successive counts, and each update can shift close races. Encinitas is one of several North County contests, including San Marcos, Vista and Escondido, where leads are narrow enough to change with further counting.
Timeline
Nov. 4, 2:51 a.m.: Registrar update showed Ehlers leading by 27 votes.
Nov. 6, 11 a.m.: About 475,000 countywide ballots remained uncounted.
Nov. 6, 6 p.m.: Next scheduled Registrar update of preliminary returns.
Political Context
California counties publish unofficial preliminary returns in successive updates before certifying final results, a process that routinely reverses narrow margins. The Encinitas race illustrates how multi-count reporting can leave close contests unsettled for days after Election Day.
Because the margin is only 73 votes, residents should expect the official Encinitas result to depend on remaining countywide ballots. Final results will be certified by the Registrar of Voters after counting is complete.
The takeaway
Close local races can reverse as counting continues, so unofficial early results should be read with caution until certification. Checking the Registrar of Voters' updated returns is the most reliable way to follow the Encinitas count.
What happens next
The Registrar of Voters is scheduled to issue its next preliminary update on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., which may further change the Encinitas margin.
Further reading
For more on how the outcome is taking shape, see Elections coverage of local races.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Coast News.
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