Mike Avila and incumbent Susan Funk led a four-way race for two seats on the Atascadero City Council, according to preliminary results released Nov. 4.
Avila, a local business owner and San Luis Obispo County planning commissioner, led with 33.2 percent of the votes, followed closely by Funk with 32.2 percent.
Emily Baranek trailed in third with 23.1 percent, while Ian Denchasy received approximately 11.5 percent.
The two candidates receiving the most votes will secure seats on the five-member council. Additional mail-in ballots remain to be counted, with the next results update expected Thursday, Nov. 5.
“The initial results were certainly encouraging,” Funk told New Times. “I’m always mindful that, you know, the first results are probably less than half the total vote. So it pays not to get too carried away with them.”
Funk spent election night at Wild Fields Brewhouse, where roughly 30 supporters gathered alongside the brewery’s regular bingo crowd.
First elected in 2018, Funk is seeking a third term on the council. She campaigned on continuing the city’s progress in downtown revitalization, public safety, and infrastructure improvements.
“People, as I talked with them at doors, were feeling very good about how Atascadero is going these days,” Funk said. “Locally, we’re moving forward in our city and people like that we’ve got more life and vitality in the downtown and we’re attracting more businesses.”
Avila, who holds a narrow lead over Funk, currently represents the 5th District on the SLO County Planning Commission. His campaign focused on public safety, infrastructure improvements, wildfire preparedness, and economic development.
A longtime Atascadero resident, Avila operates Avila Traffic Safety, a roadway safety company he founded with his wife, Kellie.
New Times reached out to Avila for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Baranek, a fourth-generation Atascadero resident making her first run for elected office, said she remained cautiously optimistic despite trailing the two frontrunners by nearly 1,000 votes.
“We’re also very proud of the campaign we ran,” Baranek said. “For our first time, I think we did a pretty great job and are pretty proud of the support that we gained from the community.”
Baranek, a senior construction manager with People’s Self-Help Housing, campaigned on affordable housing, economic development, and preserving the city’s character.
“I remain optimistic. I love numbers, and I’m excited to see how things progress with each of the updates,” she said.
Denchasy, who owns A-Town Humble Pies, campaigned as an independent focused on housing affordability and creating opportunities for younger residents.
Meanwhile, incumbent Mayor Charles Bourbeau was unopposed in his bid for a second two-year term. ∆
This article appears in Nov 5-12, 2026.
