SAN LEANDRO — Voters were leaning toward re-electing Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter and City Council incumbents Deborah Cox and Corina Lopez, while incumbent Lee Thomas was trailing in early returns Tuesday night.
Victor Aguilar Jr., a San Leandro school district trustee, was leading over Thomas in District 3. Aguilar secured about 51 percent of the vote, while Thomas got about 47 percent in early returns.
The results in the mayor’s race showed Cutter with about 55 percent of votes. Her closest challenger, Councilman Benny Lee, had about 25 percent with 15 of 54 precincts reporting.
Mayor Cutter, a trustee with the school district for 12 years, was elected to the council in November 2010 and became the city’s top leader four years later.
Lee, who was challenging Cutter, has served on the council since 2012 and was previously on the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission.
Also hoping to become mayor was Dan Dillman, president and artistic director of Curtain Call Performing Arts in San Leandro and a board member of The Home of Truth, a spiritual center in Alameda.
Jeromey Shafter, a former manager at the San Francisco Symphony and program coordinator for the San Leandro Educational Foundation, also was running for mayor.
Councilwoman Cox was seeking re-election in District 1. A co-founder and president of the San Leandro Education Foundation, Cox has been on the council since November 2014.
Cox was being challenged by Eva Arce, a systems security consultant for Alameda County who also works with the Oakland Symphony Chorus Committee, where she focuses on marketing and social events.
Also running in the district was Ken Pon, a former school district trustee and a former member of the Planning Commission.
Incumbent District 5 incumbent Councilwoman Lopez was being challenged by Maxine Oliver-Bateson, who has served on 14 state, county, and city commissions, including the Alameda County Commission on Status of Women and the Alameda County Oversight Commission.
Lopez was the clear front runner, with about 71 percent of the vote. Bateson secured about 27 percent.
San Leandro has “ranked choice voting,” which means that voters pick their first-, second- and third-choice candidates for a single office. The idea is that someone will secure a majority vote and so avoid the need for a runoff election.
Mayoral candidate Shafer and council hopefuls Arce, Aguilar and Oliver-Bateson were running as a slate.