Pismo Beach City Councilmember Scott Newton is the frontrunner to be the city’s next mayor, according to the latest vote counts in San Luis Obispo County’s election.
A supporter of the Central Coast Blue project, Newton’s served on the City Council since 2020. As of Nov. 10, he’d won almost 68 percent of the vote share, widening the margin between himself and his most vocal challenger, Cynthia Replogle.
Replogle earned 27 percent of the votes, while the third candidate, Shelby Bowen, won 5 percent.
Newton didn’t respond to New Times by press time. On Facebook, he celebrated his early lead hours after polls closed on Nov. 3.
“Thank you to the voters of Pismo Beach, the early results are looking extremely promising,” his Nov. 4 post read.
He’s endorsed by Mayor Ed Waage, fellow Councilmembers Mary Ann Reiss and Marcia Guthrie, and the Republican Party of SLO County.
Newton backed a measure that’s also succeeding with Pismo Beach voters—Measure E-26 that extends the mayoral term from two years to four years. E-26 won 54 percent of yes votes in the latest count. If it passes, the change will take effect in 2028.
Replogle told New Times she’s disappointed by E-26’s likelihood of passing, adding that it would reduce the mayor’s accountability to constituents.
“I’m taking inspiration from Kamala Harris’ concession speech two years ago,” said Replogle, who was endorsed by the SLO County Democratic Party. “She said, ‘This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.’”
She plans to carry out a campaign priority, no matter what, by forming an independent resident advisory panel made up of neighborhood representatives.
“It will monitor quality of life metrics (such as number of contacts to resolve code enforcement complaints) and provide a forum for residents to bring their concerns (like evacuation planning) for elevation to the City Council,” she said via email. “Because our voices are stronger together.”
Replogle will be monitoring the city’s promise to release major updates on items like the ADA Transition Plan and the safety; housing; and parks, recreation, and access elements.
Change is underway for the rest of the Pismo Beach City Council too. Voters were able to cast ballots for two candidates. The most recent tally showed newcomer Manuel Olivas and incumbent Stacy Inman as the top two vote-getters, separated by four votes.
Olivas, a local law enforcement officer, currently leads with 1,808 votes—32.5 percent of the share. Inman received 1,804 votes.
Neither responded to New Times’ requests for comment. ∆
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2026.
