Incumbent Barstow Councilwoman Carmen Hernandez, who had led Marilyn Dyer Kruse by a close margin since the election returns first began coming in on election November 3, has seen that lead erode until at this point, she has now fallen behind Kruse.
On election night, November 3 at 10:30 p.m., with 12 of 19 precincts reporting, Hernandez had jumped off to a 10 vote lead, with 292 votes or 37.58 percent to Kruse’s 282 votes or 36.29 percent. In third place was Martha O’Brien, with 203 votes or 26.13 percent.
Wednesday morning, at 4 a.m. November 4, after all 19 of the precincts in District 4 had reported to the registrar of voters office, Hernandez retained her lead, but Kruse had picked up a single net vote in the overall polling. The incumbent had 379 votes to Kruse’s 370 votes, a lead of 37.64 percent to 36.74 percent. O’Brien had 25.52 percent. Later that day, at 4 p.m., the vote count showed Hernandez had increased her lead. The councilwoman had 384 votes or 37.83 percent and Kruse had 371 or 36.55 percent. O’Brien’s percentage stood at 25.52.
At 4 p.m. on November 5, Kruse was again gaining on Hernandez. The at-that-time second-place challenger had 400 votes for 36.93 percent and Hernandez was eight votes up at 408, with 37.67 percent. O’Brien was at 25.3 percent.
On Friday November 6 at 4 p.m., Hernandez appeared to be accelerating ahead of Kruse once more, as she at that point had laid claim to 427 votes or 38.13 percent to Kruse’s 412 votes or 36.79 percent. O’Brien was yet well off the pace at 25 percent. There was a single write-in vote that had been received.
After the week-end break, on Monday November 9, the registrar of voters office’s tally, released at 4 p.m., showed Hernandez unable to shake Kruse’s close and relentless pursuit. Hernandez was up by just seven votes at that point, with 458 votes or 37.66 percent to Kruse’s 451 votes or 37.09 percent. O’Brien was hovering at 25.25 percent.
On November 10, Tuesday at 4 p.m., the incoming ballots over the previous 24 hours ran in Kruse’s favor, as 13 ballots for Kruse came in as opposed to six for Hernandez, such that each had a total 464 or 37.21 percent. O’Brien had 319 votes or 25.58 percent.
Yesterday, Thursday, November 12, when the tally of the county’s ballots at that time was released, Kruse, with 522 votes or 38.16 percent, had pulled 18 votes ahead of Hernandez, who at that point had notched 504 or 36.84 percent. O’Brien had 25 percent of the vote.
Today, at 4 p.m. the registrar of voters office released the latest tally of the votes, showing Kruse widening her lead over Hernandez. At this point, Kruse has 546 votes or 37.66 percent to Hernandez’s 525 or 36.21 percent. O’Brien has registered 26.14 percent.
-Mark Gutglueck