Mary Zendejas, Long Beach’s incumbent First District Councilmember, may be headed for a November runoff against challenger Anthony Bryson after the latest round of election results on Monday, June 8.
The Los Angeles County registrar’s office released another update on the primary election results at 4:48 p.m. Monday, June 8. There are still outstanding ballots – such as vote-by-mail ballots that have not yet arrived – that must be counted before the election results are finalized. The registrar’s office is scheduled to post daily updates through the end of this week.
Unless one candidate wins a majority vote during the primary – that is, more than 50% of the votes – the top-two candidates will carry on their campaigns to the November general election. Races with just two candidates will be decided by the results of the June 2 primary.
Mary Zendejas is a candidate for Long Beach City Council District 1 in 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Anthony Bryson is a candidate for Long Beach’s First City Council District in 2026. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Bryson).
Deb Kahookele is a candidate for Long Beach’s First City Council District in 2026. (Courtesy of Deb Kahookele)
Tamika Wagner-Osio is a candidate for Long Beach’s First City Council District in 2026. (Photo courtesy of Tamika Wagner-Osio’s campaign)
Brock Goleman is a candidate for Long Beach’s First City Council District in 2026. (Photo courtesy of Brock Goleman).
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Mary Zendejas is a candidate for Long Beach City Council District 1 in 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
For Long Beach Council District 1, six candidates vied for the seat that represents much of the downtown area. Zendejas has been leading the race, but the latest round of results lowered the incumbent’s votes to 50.24%.
Zendejas may be headed for a November runoff against challenger Anthony Bryson, a community organizer and activist. Bryson had 17.27% of votes.
Other candidates followed with Realtor and small business owner Deb Kahookele with 13.02%, Long Beach Continuum of Care board co-chair Tamika Wagner-Osio at 12.08%, trucker and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary member Brock Goleman with 3.82%, and retired laboratory technician Lori Logan with 3.56%.
“With five opponents in this race, we always knew that avoiding a runoff and winning outright in the primary would be a challenge – but I am so proud of the positive, neighborhood-first campaign we ran,” Zendejas said in a Monday statement. “I’m deeply grateful to the voters of District 1 for their support in these early returns. While we wait to make sure every single ballot is counted, our team is feeling really optimistic. I’m confident that when the final count is in, we’ll have earned the win so we can keep delivering for our community.”
For Bryson, this is an opportunity to be a “breaker of chains,” he said.
“District One is the only district in Long Beach where a runoff may occur,” he said in a Monday statement. “This is a remarkable accomplishment for the working people of this city. If we can make this runoff happen, it will be the first time in 8 years for Long Beach CD1.
“I believe in championing Long Beach by the people, for the people,” Bryson added, “one where our neighbors are safe from ICE, renters have real housing security and protections, and our unhoused community members can get back on their feet.”
Megan Kerr is a candidate for Long Beach City Council District 5 in 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Tara Riggi is a candidate Long Beach’s Fifth City Council District. (Courtesy of Tara Riggi’s campaign)
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Megan Kerr is a candidate for Long Beach City Council District 5 in 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Another close race is in Long Beach’s Fifth District. Incumbent Megan Kerr was challenged by Tara Riggi, a Realtor who also serves on the California Heights Neighborhood Association. Kerr was leading with 53.77% of votes, while Riggi had 46.23% of votes.
The Fifth District runs east and west from the Orange County border to the Los Angeles River, and includes most of the Long Beach Airport.