Farr, Pappas in runoff; Smyser trails in 3rd District race

In a race with five candidates but no incumbent, voters were sharply split Tuesday on who should be Santa Barbara County’s next 3rd District supervisor, setting the stage for a November runoff between the top two finishers.

Doreen Farr of Solvang won comfortably with 35.7 percent of the votes cast, and the battle for second place, and the right to compete against her in the runoff, was being won by Steve Pappas of Los Olivos, according to unofficial results Tuesday night.

Pappas had 25 percent of the votes cast, compared to about 21.1 percent for David Smyser of Solvang. Fewer than 600 votes separated the two candidates.

Dr. David Bearman of Goleta had 9.9 percent and Victoria Pointer of Buellton had 8 percent.

However, thousands of absentee ballots received Tuesday at elections offices or dropped off at polling places still must be validated and counted over the next few days, election officials said. It’s uncertain how many are from voters in the 3rd District, and whether those will be enough to change the order of finish of Pappas and Smyser — and determine which of them qualifies for the runoff election.

Incumbent 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone decided not to run again and will step down when his term expires in early January. Firestone threw his support to Smyser, his former administrative aide and the man he appointed as 3rd District county planning commissioner in 2006.

Smyser also is a former Solvang city councilman, mayor and planning commissioner. He cited that experience in local government as one of his strengths, but critics noted he never remained in any position for very long before moving to another.

Farr also is a former county planning commissioner, having served the 2nd District for about three years while living in Goleta. A retired businesswoman and planning consultant, she is a former president of citizen groups focusing on land use, both in Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley.

“I’m feeling really good. It’s nice to be on the leader board,” Farr said late Tuesday night by phone from Hollister Brewing Co. in Goleta, where she and her supporters gathered to watch the election results and celebrate. “I’m certainly not taking anything for granted, but am happy with the way it’s headed and am keeping my fingers crossed.”

She expected a runoff election, she said, because there were five candidates in the race.

Pappas, whose campaign gained strong momentum in recent weeks thanks to increased fundraising and television ads, said he was thrilled with the results.

“This is pretty exciting,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a three-way race, and that’s what you’re seeing. We’re optimistic we’re going to make it” into the runoff.

A businessman who is president of the Los Olivos School District board, Pappas formed the citizens group Preservation of Los Olivos (POLO). His campaign boasted that — unlike Smyser and Farr — he was not “beholden to any political machine” and had the independence needed to effectively represent the geographically and politically diverse 3rd District.

The sprawling district stretches from Isla Vista to Los Alamos, and includes the western Goleta Valley, all of the Santa Ynez Valley, portions of the Lompoc Valley, and Vandenberg Village. When opinions diverge along north-south lines on key issues — as they often do on the Board of Supervisors — the 3rd District supervisor usually casts the swing vote.

Although the seat is non-partisan, endorsement lists and campaign finance statements show Farr drew much of her support from environmentalists, labor unions and Democratic factions — Congresswoman Lois Capps appeared in television ads urging voters to choose Farr, for example. Smyser, the only Republican in the race, was strongly backed by conservatives, builders and business interests.

A land-use attorney, Smyser argued that his support by many farmers and ranchers also showed he would do the best job preserving and protecting Santa Barbara County’s most vital industry, agriculture. His challengers contended he is too pro-development, though, and his views too much like those of his former boss, Firestone.

Chuck Schultz can be reached at 925-2691, Ext. 2241, or cschultz@santamariatimes.com.