Sneddon Edges Friedman in Santa Barbara Mayoral Race

Kristen Sneddon has moved ahead of Eric Friedman by 296 votes as the county continues counting ballots.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Elections

Sneddon Edges Friedman in Santa Barbara Mayoral Race

Live Poll

Do you trust Santa Barbara's local government to lead the city well?

Kristen Sneddon has overtaken Eric Friedman in the Santa Barbara mayoral race, according to a Nov. 10 results update from the Santa Barbara County Elections Office. The race remains too close to call with nearly 15 percent of ballots still to be counted countywide.

Why it matters

The narrow margin means the outcome of the Santa Barbara mayoral contest could still shift as remaining ballots are tallied. Friedman had led by 1.8 points in initial Election Night results, so the lead has changed hands during the count.

Sneddon leads Friedman 45.95% to 44.98%, a margin of 296 votes, after the county's Nov. 10 update. Nearly 15% of countywide ballots had not yet been counted, so the result is not final.

The players

Kristen Sneddon

Sneddon is a candidate in the Santa Barbara mayoral race who currently holds a narrow lead over her opponent.

Eric Friedman

Friedman is a candidate in the Santa Barbara mayoral race who led in initial Election Night returns before falling behind.

Santa Barbara County Elections Office

The Santa Barbara County Elections Office administers county elections and publishes the vote tallies as ballots are counted.

The details

The Santa Barbara County Elections Office released a results update on Nov. 10 showing Sneddon ahead of Friedman. Vote tallies will continue to be updated as ballots are counted countywide, and the race is considered too close to call.

Nov. 4, 2026: Election Night, when Friedman initially led Sneddon by 1.8 points.
Nov. 10, 2026: Elections Office update showing Sneddon overtaking Friedman.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, 3 p.m.: Next election results update expected.

Season Trajectory

The county's rolling release of countywide tallies means leads in close races can flip repeatedly as later ballots are added. This Santa Barbara race follows that pattern, with Friedman's initial Election Night advantage giving way to Sneddon's lead in the November 10 update.

Santa Barbara voters should expect the mayoral result to remain uncertain until the county finishes counting ballots. The final outcome will determine who leads the city for the next term.

The takeaway

Close local races can change hands several times during the count, so the result is not settled until the final tallies are published. Following the county's scheduled updates is the most reliable way to track the race.