Manhattan Beach City Council: Franklin Widens Lead Over Fournell

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Joe Franklin has widened his lead over fellow Manhattan Beach City Council candidate Grettel Fournell in the race for the third and final seat in the Nov. 3rd election. Up until Monday, Nov. 9, Fournell had held the third spot throughout the vote count.

Franklin now has 7,751 votes with 14.86%. Fournell has 7,634 votes with 14.90%. Fournell has 7,692 votes with 14.78%. The two are now separated by 117 votes. On Monday, the gap was 35 in Franklin's favor.

Fournell had maintained the number three spot ever since the first vote tally on Election Night but her grip has been slipping as ballots are counted. Fournell has seen her lead fall away; at one point, she was ahead of Franklin by 160 votes, the day before that by 243 and prior to that by 262.

Incumbent Steve Napolitano has been in the top spot since the votes were first counted, and now has 12,041 votes and 23.14% Montgomery is second with 10,021 votes and 19.26%. After Franklin and Fournell, Phoebe Lyons now has 6,749 votes and 12.97%. Mark Burton is at 6,196 votes and 11.91%. Chaz Flemmings has 1,586 votes for 3.05%.

The LA County Registrar has been counting ballots that were either postmarked on Nov. 3 or deposited at Vote Centers on Nov. 3. They have also been asking voters whose ballots were not signed to come in to do so.