Nikfar leads race for Tiburon council seat

Isaac Nikfar is the leading candidate in the race for a seat on the Tiburon Town Council, according to preliminary results in Tuesday’s special election.

Nikfar leads with 1,157 votes, or 74%. Stefanie Cho received 406 votes, or 26% according to vote-by-mail results posted Tuesday evening.

There are 6,698 registered voters in Tiburon.

Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts said Tuesday voter turnout was approximately 26%. More votes were expected to be processed over the next week.

The first batch of results are votes that have been received and counted by Monday. A second batch of votes that were received at drop boxes and in the mail on Tuesday would be processed and posted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, she said.

“It’s just been a very smooth, low-key election,” Roberts said.

Cho, 60, is a retired tax adviser, and Nikfar, 44, is an appointed member of the Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission. The victor will serve the remaining term of Noah Griffin, who stepped down at the beginning of the year.

Griffin, a civic activist and public affairs consultant, was elected in November 2021 to complete the term of David Kulik. Kulik moved to San Diego with more than three years left in his term, which ends in November 2024.

“I appreciate and am honored by the tremendous outpouring of support from everyone,” Nikfar said. “I’m very proud of the work we did in this campaign and look forward to the opportunity to serve Tiburon residents on the Town Council.”

Cho could not be reached for comment.

The elections office did not set up vote centers for the special election, Roberts said.

Vote-by-mail ballots were sent to Tiburon’s registered voters, who returned them by mail or at drop boxes located at Town Hall, the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael or the county elections office in San Rafael.

Ballots postmarked by Aug. 29 or earlier will be counted, Roberts said.