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Political Landscape: Duffield within 24 votes of Stoaks in Newport council race

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Newport Beach Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield and challenger Tim Stoaks are almost in a dead heat after nearly three weeks of counting votes in a City Council election that appears will be a nail-biter down to the wire.

As of Monday evening, Stoaks’ lead — which once was more than 300 votes — had dwindled to 24 votes, according to the Orange County registrar of voters office.

Stoaks had 18,111 votes to Duffield’s 18,087, with an estimated 21,800 ballots still left to count countywide. The next update is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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The registrar’s office has until Dec. 6 to complete its counts.

Duffield, who is seeking his second term representing District 3 on the City Council, cut into Stoaks’ lead in vote counting over the past few days.

Stoaks has been in front since Election Day on Nov. 6, holding advantages of about 250 to 350 votes after most daily updates. The current razor-thin difference is the closest the two have been.

The three other Newport council races had clear winners, with incumbents Diane Dixon and Kevin Muldoon holding onto their seats in Districts 1 and 4, respectively, and challenger Joy Brenner displacing incumbent Scott Peotter in District 6.

Newport Beach Women’s Democratic Club meets Tuesday

The Newport Beach Women’s Democratic Club’s monthly meeting Tuesday will feature guest speakers Beth Krom — a former Irvine City Councilwoman and a planned 2020 candidate for the District 3 seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors — and eLiz Hendershot, development director for Wiseplace, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit that focuses on housing for women in crisis.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in Room 1 at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar. RSVPs are required.

To register or for more information, visit NBWDC.org or call (949) 423-6468.

H.B.’s Travis Allen seeking to lead California Republican Party

Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), who is leaving the state Assembly after an unsuccessful run for governor this year, is running for chairman of the California Republican Party.

“Californians deserve a strong Republican Party that supports our values, ideals and our Republican president,” Allen said in a statement. “It’s time that we rebuild the Republican Party from the ground up. … It’s time we take back California.”

Current party Chairman Jim Brulte has said he will not seek another two years as leader when his term ends in February.

In the Nov. 6 election to choose Allen’s successor in representing the 72nd Assembly District, Tyler Diep (R-Westminster) defeated Josh Lowenthal (D-Huntington Beach).


UPDATES:

5:40 p.m.: This article was updated with the latest vote count in the Newport Beach District 3 council race.

This article was originally published at 1 p.m.

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