Initial counts for the Fullerton City Council District 5 race currently show Oscar Valadez as the race’s frontrunner with 34.4% of votes counted as of 10:37 p.m.
District 5 encompasses the city’s downtown district, and the winner of the seat would represent the district during city council meetings.
Valadez currently has 42.21% of votes, or 1,374 individual votes.
Jozef Maldonado is trailing closely behind with 1,365 votes, 41.94% of counted ballots.
David Fischbein currently holds 516 votes, totaling 15.85%.
Incumbent Ahmad Zahra announced he would not be seeking reelection earlier this year.
Two of the three candidates have experience at the municipal level in Fullerton, with Maldonado serving as parks commissioner and Valadez serving as the city commissioner. Fischbein is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a quality assurance specialist.
All three candidates have stated campaign priorities focusing on infrastructure, improving public safety and improving city transparency.
This story is ongoing and will be updated as votes are counted.