Entrepreneur John Hollaway held a slim advantage over incumbent Arleen Rojas in the Carson City Council District 4 election on Friday, Nov. 6, as ballot counting continued. The Los Angeles County registrar’s latest update, released at 10:59 p.m. Friday, put Hollaway at 51.43% and Rojas at 48.57%, separating the candidates by 184 votes.
Hollaway, who also serves as a Public Works commissioner, remained ahead while the outcome was still unsettled. The registrar’s office plans to issue updated totals each day until the remaining ballots have been counted and the election results are certified. Certification is tentatively set for Nov. 27.
The first semi-official tally for the Nov. 3 election was released shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday. It included mail ballots received by Election Day, along with ballots cast at Vote Centers before voting ended at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Ballots still to be counted include provisional and conditional ballots, as well as mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that had not yet arrived. The number outstanding was unknown.
In an interview Wednesday, Hollaway described his campaign as a response to residents seeking a more visible representative. He said community members had told him they needed someone who would be present and that his commitment to serving Carson required personal sacrifice. Rojas did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Hollaway previously said his reason for seeking the council seat was to “show up for the community.” He has described District 4 as an overlooked and neglected part of Carson, arguing that residents should have opportunities to explain what they want from their city.
His proposed approach includes holding town hall meetings and bringing community members together to discuss their priorities. He has also said Carson should offer what residents need so they do not have to travel to other cities for it. Among the steps he has outlined for his first 100 days, if elected, are meetings with city employees and underserved residents.
Rojas has identified the absence of comprehensive public safety as Carson’s most pressing need. In the Southern California News Group’s Voter Guide, she described neighborhood security as essential to a thriving city and pointed to initiatives she said she had helped advance.
Those efforts, according to Rojas, included helping establish Carson’s Public Safety Task Force, reviving the Safety First Act Now initiative and launching the Community Oriented Policing initiative. She said the policing initiative was intended to directly address property crime and illegal street takeovers.
