Sheila Kuehl claims victory in L.A. County supervisor race

With preliminary election results showing her far ahead, former state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl said her competitor in the race for Los Angeles County supervisor, Bobby Shriver, called Wednesday morning to concede the closely watched contest.

“I think it’s safe to say that I’ve won this race,” Kuehl said. “I’m thrilled to start this work after such a long run, and I’m really looking forward to working with everyone to make the county work even better.”

As of Wednesday morning, Kuehl commanded nearly 53% of the vote compared to 47% for Shriver, a former Santa Monica city councilman. The election was fought over the 3rd District seat being vacated by Zev Yaroslavsky.

Shriver later issued a statement Wednesday saying that Kuehl was “gracious in victory” when he called to congratulate her.

“After 25 debates, I know Sheila will bring strength and conviction to her service on the Board of Supervisors,” he said, thanking his supporters.

Kuehl rode to victory behind big margins in the eastern portion of the district where she secured more than 60% of votes cast in Los Feliz and West Hollywood and carried the dense San Fernando Valley neighborhoods that straddle the 101 Freeway, according to a Times analysis of election results.

Shriver ran strongest in Beverly Hills and the arc of wealthy enclaves that stretch from Malibu along the northern ring of the Valley to Granada Hills, but he couldn’t make up the difference, preliminary results show.

All votes cast at Los Angeles County precincts have been tallied, but thousands of ballots remain to be counted, including vote-by-mail ballots that were handed in on election day, provisional ballots and write-in ballots, according to the county registrar.

The exact number that still need to be tallied has not been determined. Final election results will not be officially declared until December.

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