Garner, Woods, Kors Lead in Election Results

PALM SPRNGS – Semi-final Election Night results show Grace Garner, Dennis Woods, and Geoff Kors leading in District 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Given the commanding lead each has that is unlikely to change when results are updated at 5 p.m. Friday, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

In District 1, unofficial vote totals show Garner, an attorney, with 698 votes followed in second place by Les Young, a retired businessman, with 483 votes. Scott Myer, a civil rights attorney, had 249 votes and Michael Shogren, a real estate agent, had 32.

Dennis Woods, a planning commissioner, has a commanding lead in District 2 netting 1,101 votes. Adrian Alcantar, a hair salon owner, had 483 votes, Peter Maietta, an interior designer, had 436.

In District 3, Mayor Pro Tem Kors grabbed 1,364 votes. Alan P. “Alfie” Pettit snagged 307, and Michael J. Dilger garnered 113.

For Kors, the yet-to-be certified victory caps off a nearly yearlong campaign that he started in January. He is slated to become the first rotating mayor in December.

The biggest unofficial turnout was in District 2 where 2,027 residents cast votes. In District 3, 1,811 people cast ballots, and 1,465 people cast ballots in District 1.

The Nov. 5 City Council election was the first since the City Council voted to move from at-large elections to district-based elections.

An estimated 2,000 Vote-by-Mail ballots and 1,000 Provisional ballots still must be processed. Election officials are slated to begin counting those this morning, Wednesday, Nov. 6. Ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than Friday also to be counted.

Only voters in District 1,2, and 3 were able to cast votes Tuesday. This election began the first phase of the city’s transition to district-based elections. The transition will be fully complete following the November 2020 election when City Councilmembers are elected from Districts 4 and 5. Councilmembers Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstege currently reside in those districts. Each will retain her at-large seat until November 2020.