Incumbent San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano is leading a three-candidate race after the first rounds of ballot counting, according to unofficial results released June 2.
With approximately 20 percent of ballots counted, Cano holds a clear early advantage with 61 percent of the vote. Vanessa Rozo followed with 27 percent, and Gaea Powell with 12 percent.
County election officials will continue to process thousands of remaining vote-by-mail and provisional ballots in the days and weeks ahead.
Cano told New Times she was grateful for the early support and emphasized her record in office.
“I’ve never taken anything for granted. I’ve never felt entitled to have and hold this position,” Cano said. “I think I’ve worked very hard to earn the public’s trust. … I’m just super pleased that the voters have voted in my favor and are supporting my leadership.”
Her campaign reported approximately $20,750 in contributions in 2026, along with $714 in 2025, according to campaign finance disclosures.
Rozo, a challenger and Oceano business owner, said she was encouraged by her campaign’s visibility and voter engagement as results came in.
“I feel great. I think I ran a great race,” Rozo told New Times. “It’s been compelling to hear from voters all morning.”
She pointed to what she described as ongoing issues in election administration as her basis for running, particularly around voter education and polling place procedures, claiming confusion among some voters about precinct changes, ballot handling, and the use of provisional ballots.
“People still don’t understand fully where to go for their precincts,” she said, adding that voters she heard from were uncertain about whether to surrender vote-by-mail ballots or request provisional ballots at polling locations.
Rozo also said the Clerk-Recorder’s Office needs improved communication and organization.
“There’s definitely a better way to streamline this,” she said.
Even with Cano 34 points ahead, Rozo remained optimistic.
“I am fully optimistic because the fact is that things can change [in] a heartbeat,” she said. “There is still a lot of ballots to be counted, and this could be very close. In my opinion, I think I put forth the effort to make the county aware of who I am and what I represent, and I feel that I found favor. So, let’s just hold out. I just said it’s not over.
“I just see … the distance between Elaina and I right now, but that could change, you know.”
Rozo’s campaign finance filings show approximately $10,900 raised in 2026, along with $80,770 in 2025—most of which came from a $77,000 loan to her campaign.
Powell said in an email to New Times that her campaign focused on broader institutional reform rather than a single election outcome.
“I want to thank everyone who supported my campaign,” Powell wrote. “This campaign was always about more than a single election. It was about transparency, accountability, election integrity, equal treatment under the law, and restoring public confidence in our institutions.”
Powell said she plans to continue her advocacy outside of elected office, including legal efforts and public engagement on election-related issues.
“I will continue pursuing transparency through the courts … holding office is one way to serve the public, but it is not the only way,” she wrote.
Powell is facing criminal charges for reportedly filing false nomination papers for her candidacy and voting fraudulently during her 2022 and 2024 campaigns for Arroyo Grande mayor.
The initial count reflected relatively low early turnout, with fewer than 1 in 5 registered voters included in the first results report. Cano said additional ballots remain to be processed, which could shift vote totals.
County officials are expected to release additional updated results as ballot counting continues this month. According to the California Secretary of State, final official election results will be released on July 10. ∆
This article appears in Pride 2026.
