San Rafael District 3 Election: Davidi Leads Sandoval by Just 35 Votes in Latest Count

SAN RAFAEL, Marin County — November 4, 2026. Only 35 votes separated the two candidates in San Rafael’s District 3 City Council contest late on election night. Daryoush Davidi had 1,694 votes (50.5%), while Robert Sandoval had 1,659 (49.4%), according to a KQED report updated at 11:13 p.m. Tuesday. The figures are preliminary.

Earlier margin was even smaller

Bay City News / Local News Matters reported an earlier snapshot with Davidi leading by only 18 votes, 1,656 to 1,638. The change illustrates why early, timestamped counts should never be published as final results. Sandoval told reporters he was optimistic and would await the official count. The report said Davidi had not immediately commented.

An open seat

The District 3 seat was left open by Maribeth Bushey, who did not seek reelection after 12 years on the council. District 3 includes neighborhoods north of the San Rafael Canal and areas around Peacock Gap and the Marin County Civic Center. In District 2, Eli Hill was unopposed, according to local reporting. Those are separate council constituencies and must not be combined.

What comes next?

Thirty-five votes is a small margin relative to the additional ballots that may be accepted and counted during the county canvass. An early lead is neither a declaration of victory nor an official certification.

Reporting note: Vote totals are from KQED’s Marin County results display updated November 3, 2026 at 11:13 p.m. Pacific, based on election-office data. They are unofficial and will change as valid ballots are processed. Marin County’s Elections Department has scheduled new reports beginning November 5. KQED results · Official Marin County election results and updates.

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