Final tally: Duffield by 36 votes in Newport council race

With all votes counted, Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield held onto his District 3 seat on the Newport Beach City Council by a 36-vote margin over challenger Tim Stoaks, the Orange County registrar of voters office said late Friday.

The registrar’s office finished tallying the remaining 184 ballots countywide that were still uncounted as of its 5 p.m. update, when Duffield led by 38 votes.

The final tally showed Duffield with 18,458 votes and Stoaks with 18,422, the registrar’s office said.

“I want to compliment Tim Stoaks on a spirited campaign. He is a gentleman with the community’s best interest at heart,” Duffield said Saturday in a statement on Facebook. “I look forward to working hard for the residents, businesses, and improving our magnificent community.”

Stoaks told the Daily Pilot in a text message that “I remain proud of the clean campaign I ran and thankful to my supporters. I wish Duffy well and hope he hears the voices in this community who want honesty and transparency in City Hall moving forward.”

The race had been too close to call, and Stoaks had maintained a lead in most daily vote updates since Election Day on Nov. 6. But Duffield rallied in the past week, inching to within 24 votes on Monday and then gaining a 22-vote advantage Tuesday. He led by 44 votes Wednesday and 43 on Thursday.

The council will install the election winners Dec. 11. They include incumbents Diane Dixon and Kevin Muldoon in Districts 1 and 4, respectively, and Joy Brenner, who defeated incumbent Scott Peotter in District 6.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD

UPDATES:

11:25 a.m. Dec. 3: This article was updated with Stoaks’ statement.

2:15 p.m. Dec. 1: This article was updated with Duffield’s statement.

6:30 a.m. Dec. 1: This article was updated with the final vote count.

This article was originally published at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30.