Bobbie Singh-Allen close in Elk Grove mayor’s race, two candidates still trail behind

Bobbie Singh-Allen is holding on to the lead position in the contentious race for Elk Grove mayor, outperforming incumbent Steve Ly.

As Sacramento County officials updated election results Friday, Singh-Allen maintained 46% of the votes counted as Ly trailed with 34%. A third candidate, Brian Pastor, had 18%.

The latest release accounts for about 51% of registered voters in the county. Voter turnout during presidential elections are typically over 70% which means officials could have tens of thousands more votes to count before the race is certified.

A trustee on the Elk Grove Unified School District board, Singh-Allen could become the first woman to lead the city which only began electing a mayor in 2013. She jumped into the race late and mounted a swift campaign to oust Ly amid a wave of harassment allegations.

Ly was expected to sail to victory and had already garnered high-profile endorsements until June when several women alleged they had been harassed by the mayor’s supporters in the past. Ly denied any involvement but accusations loomed over the race and motivated Singh-Allen to run.

Ly is vying for a third term as mayor, a part-time position that serves two-year terms.

The race could be the first upset in his political life after consistently winning campaigns since 2012. He first joined the Elk Grove school board as a trustee (for a time with Singh-Allen), then the Elk Grove City Council, and was first elected mayor in 2016 when he replaced Gary Davis.

Attempts to reach Ly late Friday were unsuccessful but he previously told The Sacramento Bee that he would wait until every vote is counted.

“From my previous elections, I’ve had strong support across the city so we’re going to have to monitor this and wait until all the votes are counted,” Ly said on Wednesday.

Elk Grove City Clerk Jason Lindgren said the county has 30 days to certify the election. The chosen mayor and council members will take the oath of office and preside over their first meeting on Dec. 9. The candidate with the most votes wins and reaching a majority is not necessary, Lindgren said.

After the latest update, Singh-Allen continued to urge patience as more votes are counted when reached Friday.

“The numbers released by the Sacramento County Registrar’s Office continue to show a trend that will lead our campaign to victory. We are ever more confident that the will of the voters is clear and that they are ready for a change, Singh-Allen said in a prepared statement.

“I again would like to thank all of my supporters for caring so much about our city and working so hard to get us to this point. We plan to wait for more votes to come in before making a declaration.”