Meghan Spieker and Jas Grewal hold commanding leads for two Del Mar City Council seats in preliminary results posted by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Spieker, a planning commissioner, led the four-candidate field with 884 votes, or 33.60%. Grewal, a former Finance Committee member, followed with 713 votes, or 27.10%. The two top vote-getters claim the seats if the results hold through certification.

Incumbent Councilmember Terry Gaasterland, who was seeking a third term, trailed with 523 votes (19.88%), according to results first reported by The Coast News. Former Finance Committee member Jeff Sturgis received 511 votes (19.42%).

The results are not final. The San Diego County Registrar of Voters must formally certify the count no later than Dec. 3, according to the city of Del Mar's election page. The county's Nov. 4 update, posted at 2:51 a.m., reflected 766,723 ballots counted countywide with 37.7% turnout.

A seat vacant for two years

The race carried extra weight because one of the two seats has been vacant since former Councilmember Dwight Worden resigned in September 2024. The remaining four council members deadlocked on appointing a replacement and could not agree on calling a special election, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in August. The seat stayed empty until the Nov. 3 election.

Grewal and Sturgis were among the applicants who sought appointment to fill Worden's seat in 2024, according to the Union-Tribune.

Spieker was appointed to the Planning Commission in January 2025 to replace Deputy Mayor John Spelich after he was elected to the City Council, the Union-Tribune reported.

Solana Beach Measure C passes

Across the city line, Solana Beach voters approved Measure C with 3,110 yes votes (71.91%) to 1,215 no votes (28.09%). The measure needed a simple majority to pass.

Measure C raises the city's transient occupancy tax (TOT) from 13% to 14%, a 1-percentage-point increase that applies to guests staying at hotels, motels and short-term vacation rentals. The city estimates the increase will generate about $250,000 per year in additional revenue, according to the city's impartial analysis of the measure. The revenue is unrestricted and may be used for any general city purpose.

The new rate takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to the city's proposed ordinance. The Solana Beach City Council voted 4-0 on July 15 to place the measure on the ballot, with Councilmember MacDonald absent.

In Solana Beach's council races, Kristi Becker ran unopposed in District 2 and Jenna Wolfe-Dellamano ran unopposed in District 4, each receiving 100% of votes cast.

All results remain preliminary until the registrar certifies the count, which is due by Dec. 3.