The most recent election results from Santa Barbara County show incumbent District 3 Supervisor Joan Hartmann pulling ahead in the race with 52% of the vote.
Challengers Bruce Porter had a little more than 36% of the vote as of Wednesday, while Karen Jones had 6%.
To avoid a runoff in November, a candidate must receive at least 50.1% of the vote.
Still, neither Hartmann nor Porter is ready to say the race is over.
"With over 30,000 ballots still to be tallied county-wide, it's too soon to draw any definite conclusions from the current totals," Porter said. "The Porter for Supervisor campaign is looking forward to seeing the final results and is preparing for a lively general election in November."
"While I await the final certified results of the election, I am honored and humbled by the unofficial results. I am proud of the campaign that we ran based on integrity and my record of service," Hartmann said in a statement in which she also thanked her supporters and campaign volunteers.
There were originally four people in the District 3 supervisor race.
While Jessica Alvarez Parfrey dropped out before Election Day, her name remained on the ballot. As of Wednesday, she had 5% of the vote.
District 3 encompasses a vast area that includes UCSB, Isla Vista, Goleta, the Santa Ynez Valley, unincorporated areas of Lompoc, Mission Hills, Vandenberg Village, Casmalia, Tanglewood, and Guadalupe.
Click here to see the latest results for all of the races in the March 3 Primary Election.
