Encinitas City Councilmember Bruce Ehlers is the city’s mayor-elect after steadily maintaining a slim lead over Mayor Tony Kranz, who was seeking his second term, since the first returns on Election Day.

Encinitas voters also elected two new council members and rejected a ballot measure that would have added a one-cent sales tax for roads and other infrastructure.

With about 56,000 votes to be tallied throughout the county, Kranz has already conceded the race to Ehlers after a recent update from the Registrar of Voters put Ehlers a little further ahead.

“So it’s time to express my congratulations to him for becoming the Mayor-Elect of the City of Encinitas, and I wish him well in guiding the future of the city we all love,” Kranz said in a statement. “Unlike many current contests, it was a civil campaign and I’m proud of that.”

Kranz was on the City Council for about 10 years before being elected mayor in 2022, replacing Catherine Blakespear after she left for the state Senate.

Ehlers, who was elected to the council in 2022, challenged Kranz on a platform that included more local control and pushback to state housing mandates.

In the race for two Council seats, council members-elect Luke Shaffer and Jim O’Hara each have more than 55% against their opponents.

Shaffer defeated Allison Blackwell, who had been appointed to the seat to replace Kranz when he became mayor two years ago.

O’Hara will replace Councilmember Kellie Hinze, who did not seek reelection.

On the ballot measure, Measure K, a narrow majority of Encinitas voters said no.

The ballot measure and all three losing candidates had the endorsement of local Democrats.