Manhattan Beach City Council

MANHATTAN BEACH — Perhaps nowhere else in the state did one vote have more power than Manhattan Beach, where Paul Allen will return as Manhattan Beach mayor in 2027, having received 3 votes (60%) for the win Nov. 3.

Small numbers also elected Michael Dozark with 3 votes (30%) and Isaac Wannebo with 4 votes (40%).

Mark Johnson missed the bus with 2 votes (20%).

Allen previously served as mayor from 2007 (he was elected in 2006) to July 2, 2024, when he
and a council member resigned during a 3-minute regular meeting, leaving just one council member and the clerk/treasurer on the five-member council.

Dozark is a former council member who was then appointed in July 2024.

Manhattan Beach is home to around 60 people.

FIFTY LAKES — Brandon Peterson and David Potz emerged from a field of five candidates to claim the two Fifty Lakes City Council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Peterson garnered 196 votes (30.43%) and Potz earned 138 votes (21.43%).

Jody Bluhm missed winning a seat with 134 votes (20.81%), just four votes behind Potz.

Also on the ballot were Randy Zeigler, a former council member and now a current council member appointed in February 2025, who received 105 votes (16.3%); and David C. Wilson with 64 votes (9.94%). There were seven write-in votes.

Mark Bradley did not file for reelection.

Gary Staples kept his mayor’s seat, running unopposed and gathering 301 votes (93.79%). There were 20 write-in votes.

EMILY — Tracy Jones was overthrown as mayor of Emily after current city council member Gregory Koch claimed 356 votes (54.1%) to Jones’ 301 votes (45.74%) Nov. 3.

With Koch running for mayor and incumbent Andrew Hemphill not filing for reelection, that left two city council seats open.

Nick Franke came in first in the race to fill the two seats with 484 votes (45.11%) with Jon Friesner coming in second with 268 votes (34.3%).

Kale Jones missed with 212 votes (19.76%).

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.