Moreno defeated Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk, will replace current Supervisor Debbie Arnold

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The final results are in for the March 5 Presidential Primary Election and we now know who will be taking the San Luis Obispo County District 5 Supervisor seat now held by Debbie Arnold. With 56.38 percent of the vote, current Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno will serve as your next District 5 Supervisor.   

Regarding her election win, Moreno told Atascadero News, “I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence the voters have placed in me. It is the unwavering support, dedication and shared vision of so many in our community that have propelled us to this remarkable achievement.”

Moreno is currently serving as the Atascadero mayor and is the second mayor in the city’s history. She was first elected to Atascadero City Council in 2012 and was then first elected as mayor in 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022. Her opponent in the supervisor race was fellow Atascadero City Council member Susan Funk, who came out of the election with 43.62 percent of the vote. Funk was first elected to council in November, 2018 and was re-elected in November 2022. 

With Moreno taking the District 5 seat, the mayoral position is up for grabs. Current Atascadero City Councilmember Charles Bourbeau has already announced his bid for the seat — his term on council also expires in 2024. No other candidates have announced their bid for the mayoral seat yet. However, the nomination period for local elections will open later this year.

Atascadero News reached out to Funk for comment on the election results and whether or not she plans to throw her hat into the mayoral ring. she provided the following statement:

“I called Mayor Moreno last week and congratulated her on her victory in this race. She and I both expressed appreciation for our mutual commitment to keeping the dynamics and issues of the campaign out of our shared work as members of the Atascadero City Council.  

I want to express my deep appreciation for all the volunteers and supporters of my grass-roots campaign. Since the election, many people — supporters and opponents alike — have reached out to me to express respect and appreciation for the campaign we ran. I look forward to building on the relationships we developed and continuing the important work of shaping the future of our community.

I also want to acknowledge election staff and volunteers, who worked hard to deliver a free and fair election. It is essential for our democracy that we ensure fair and accurate elections and respect the results.”

As for Moreno’s next chapter of public service, she says, “I’m optimistic about the future we will create together and there’s a lot of work to do on important issues, like housing and homelessness. I see opportunities to make county government more efficient and streamlined, to move good projects forward that benefit the entire community. I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues on the board to accomplish good things for our residents.”

She will be representing Atascadero, Cal Poly State University (portion), California Valley, Creston, Garden Farms, Pozo, San Luis Obispo (portion), and Santa Margarita with her District 5 seat.

Moreno thanked everyone who contributed time, energy and resources to her campaign and offered her deepest gratitude.

“From knocking on doors, making phone calls, and hosting events to delivering signs and spreading the word, everyone’s combined efforts were invaluable,” she said. “And to my core team and trusted advisors: I am grateful beyond words at the level of commitment and support you provided over the past year. Our success would not be possible without you.”

She will serve the remainder of her term as Atascadero mayor through the end of this year before taking her seat as District 5 Supervisor. She will be joining John Pescong (D-1) and Dawn Ortiz-Legg (D-3), who both ran in this March 5 election unopposed. 

“I am excited to continue as mayor of Atascadero for the rest of this year. Our staff at the city is incredible; a team dedicated and motivated to serve the public at a high level,” said Moreno. “We have a community that pulls together — from businesses to residents, from government to nonprofits … things happen in Atascadero because of our spirit of volunteerism and collaboration. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve this city as mayor.”

On March 27, SLO County Clerk Recorder Elaina Cano announced the election had been certified. In her press release, she stated that the county’s voter participation rate in the March 5 election was officially 52.34 percent of registered voters, which was well above the statewide average of 34 percent.

Of the 92,526 ballots cast and counted, 94.28 percent of SLO County voters opted to use their vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot and 5.72 percent cast a poll ballot on Election Day.

“SLO County voters did a good job turning out for the primary, and we look forward to even more participation in the November General Election,” said Cano. “We are also happy to be able to certify this election more than a week ahead of schedule.”

Not only was local voter participation higher than the statewide average, SLO County’s turnout was higher than counties of comparable size and population, including neighboring Santa Barbara and Monterey, which had turnout of about 42 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

“Throughout the canvass, we also had several community observers on hand to witness the process,” Cano said. “Those who came in to observe were able to see our work as we did it and ask questions about each step.” 

Cano stressed that the counting process is always open to community observers, provided they check in and adhere to the office’s conduct guidelines.

Now that certification of the primary election is complete, the Elections Office will turn its attention to the November 5 General Election. Among several other efforts, Cano plans to hold a candidate information session over the summer; the goal of that event will be to walk participants through the steps and timing of running for elected office in the fall.

Below are election results from the final March 27 count:

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor District 1

John Peschong — 100 percent (11,408)

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor District 3

Dawn Ortiz-Legg — 93.41 percent (12,272)

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor District 5

Susan Funk — 43.62 percent (7,390)

Heather Moreno — 56.38 percent (9,551)

Presidential Primary Election Race (County Results)

Democratic Primary:

• Joe Biden — 93.03 percent (35,164)

Republican Party:

• Donald J. Trump — 77.63 percent (28,451)
• Nikki Haley — 19.30 percent (7,072)

OTHER NOTABLE NORTH COUNTY RACES

• California US Senate (Full Term) — Steve Garvey won the race with 36.47 percent of the vote against Adam Schiff with 34.39 percent of the vote.
• California US Senate Special (Partial Term) — Steve Garvey won the race with 37.95 percent of the vote against Adam Schiff with 29.20 percent of the vote.
• Prop 1 Behavioral Health Services Measure — 52.20 percent voting no and 47.80 percent voting yes.
• California US House District 19 — Jason Anderson won with 53.02 percent and Jimmy Panetta following with 43.54 percent.
• California US House District 24 — Salud Carbajal won with 55.15 percent and Thomas Cole following with 38.46 percent.
• California State Senate District 17 — John Laird won the seat with 53.67 percent of the vote.
• California State Senate District 21 — Elijah Mack ended up winning the race wtih 51.28 percent of the vote.
• California State Assembly District 30 — Dawn Addis won with 54.87 percent of the vote.
• California State Assembly District 37 — Sari Domingues finalized their win with 53.97 percent of the vote.

For voting inquiries, contact the Elections Office at (805) 781-5228 or elections@co.slo.ca.us. Additional information can be found on the Voter FAQ page, and detailed election information at slovote.com/March2024.