Shasta County Voters Weigh Local Races as California and National Results Deliver Democratic Gains
Shasta County, CA
November 4, 2026
Early returns from Shasta County’s November 3, 2026, general election show clear early leaders in several local contests, while statewide and national results point to significant Democratic advances. Results remain preliminary as counting continues. Readers can check the latest official tallies at the Shasta County Elections Office results page: https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CA/Shasta/127591/web.345435/#/summary.
Local Results
In the Redding City Council race for three open seats, early totals from more than 36,000 votes show Russ Wenham leading with about 22 percent, followed by incumbent Tenessa Audette near 19 percent and Mark Mezzano at roughly 14.5 percent. Christina Prosperi sits in fourth with just under 13 percent. These percentages reflect shares of votes cast, since voters could select up to three candidates. Incumbent Jack Munns trails further back.
On the Shasta County Board of Supervisors, Anderson City Council member Mike Gallagher holds a solid early lead over incumbent Chris Kelstrom in District 5. With more than 5,200 votes counted, Gallagher stands near 58 percent to Kelstrom’s roughly 42 percent. The margin reflects a strong showing in vote-by-mail ballots.
For the Shasta County Office of Education Board, which has four seats open across two areas, early results show Bruce Ross leading Area 1 (two seats) with about 27.5 percent, followed by Michelle Renee Tyson near 21 percent and Nancy Walker at roughly 21 percent. In Area 2 (two seats), Authur Gorman leads with about 32 percent, ahead of Teresa Roberts near 29 percent and Lisa Marie Barry around 23 percent. These contests remain fluid as more ballots are tallied.
Local measures are also drawing attention. Measure E and Measure F appear to be succeeding in early returns, while Measure C is currently failing.
California
Statewide, Democrat Xavier Becerra defeated Republican Steve Hilton to become California’s next governor, succeeding term-limited Gavin Newsom. Hilton, a Trump-endorsed candidate and former Fox News host, delivered a concession speech in Garden Grove in which he acknowledged the loss while remaining upbeat. He noted it may not have been the best year for a Republican given the national climate, thanked supporters, wished Becerra well, and emphasized that “the change we hoped for may be delayed, but the change is coming.” He outlined a longer-term path focused on ending the Democratic supermajority in the Legislature by 2028 and electing a Republican governor in 2030.
The race also highlighted ongoing questions about voter eligibility. California does not require documentary proof of citizenship for registration; applicants simply affirm citizenship under penalty of perjury on the registration form. Recent federal efforts to flag potential noncitizens on California rolls drew pushback from state and county officials, who questioned the accuracy of the lists and noted legal limits on additional verification.
California Proposition 39 (Voter ID) – Defeated
California voters rejected Proposition 39, the initiative constitutional amendment that would have required government-issued identification for in-person voting and the last four digits of a designated ID number on mail-ballot envelopes. It would also have required election officials to make “best efforts” to verify registered voters’ citizenship and report the results annually.
The “No” side leads by more than 1.3 million votes. Major outlets called the measure defeated on election night. Remaining ballots continue to be counted, but the margin makes a change in outcome highly unlikely.
California’s 2nd Congressional District: Robin Littau vs. Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman (D, incumbent) won.
Huffman: ~66.5–68.3% (roughly 105,500–106,800 votes in early reports)
Robin Littau (R): ~31.7–33.5% (roughly 49,000–53,700 votes)
Huffman, the longtime Democratic incumbent, was declared the winner on election night. Proposition 50 redrew the district, and it now includes more conservative inland areas (including parts of Shasta, Siskiyou, and Modoc counties). Littau performed better in those rural counties but could not overcome Huffman’s large margins along the North Coast and in Marin/Sonoma.
California’s 1st Congressional District: James Gallagher vs. Mike McGuire
Mike McGuire (D) defeated James Gallagher (R).
McGuire: ~57%
Gallagher: ~43%
The Associated Press called the race for McGuire on election night. Gallagher (a former Assembly Republican leader who won a special election earlier in 2026 to finish the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s term under the old district lines) lost under the new Proposition 50 boundaries. Those lines shifted the district to include more Democratic-leaning areas of Sonoma County (including McGuire’s base around Healdsburg/Santa Rosa) while dropping Redding.
Note: James Gallagher will finish the remainder of the current term through early January 2027 before McGuire is sworn in. Results remain unofficial until the Secretary of State certifies them by December 11, 2026.
National
Nationally, Democrats flipped control of both the U.S. House and Senate. Projections showed Democrats securing majorities in both chambers, with gains in multiple states that President Trump carried in 2024. The shift sets up divided government for the remainder of Trump’s term.
Texas produced some of the night’s most striking results. Democrats won the governorship, with Gina Hinojosa defeating longtime Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, and the U.S. Senate seat, with James Talarico defeating Ken Paxton—the first Democratic statewide wins in Texas in decades. Additional Democratic leads appeared in other statewide races. The scale of the shift in a state long dominated by Republicans has prompted discussion and questions from some observers about the results, though official projections from major outlets called the key races for Democrats.
Results across the country continue to be updated as remaining ballots are processed. For the most current Shasta County numbers, visit the official results link above. Local counting has faced some delays, with officials citing staffing and technical issues.
This summary reflects early and preliminary returns as of early November 4. Final certified results will take additional time.
