CARLSBAD: Kulchin, Blackburn lead in absentee results

By BARBARA HENRY - North County Times | Tuesday, November 4, 2008 11:23 PM PST ∞

CARLSBAD ---- A city police sergeant appeared to be slightly ahead of a city planning commissioner in a very tight race for a vacant seat on Carlsbad's City Council as absentee ballots results were tallied Tuesday night.

Carlsbad Police Sgt. Keith Blackburn had 23.16 percent of the vote while Planning Commissioner Farrah Douglas had 22.08 percent. Just over 300 votes separated the two candidates.

"It looks like I'm going to be up late watching TV," Blackburn said, adding that he could be described as cautiously optimistic based on the initial voting results.

Douglas, who is the co-owner of a Carlsbad print shop, also declared herself "very hopeful" and said the absentee results were just the start of what promised to be a long night.

"I am expecting it to be very close," she said.

Meanwhile, long-time incumbent Ann Kulchin, who spent far less than either Blackburn or Douglas on her campaign, appeared to be coasting toward re-election to the seat she's held for 28 years. In absentee results, she had 28.59 percent of the vote. That's similar to the percentage she held in the election four years ago.

"I'm just pleased," she said. "I'm thrilled to think I've been around as long as I have and people still want me."

Blackburn and Douglas were expected to set city records for campaign spending. By mid October, Blackburn had spent about $90,000 on his campaign and Douglas had spent about $60,000. Kulchin's spending had totalled $30,000.

Trailing well behind the top three were the three other candidates in the race. Former Marine Glenn Bernard had 10.62 percent of the vote, entertainment magazine publisher Thomas K. Arnold had 10.04 percent and Cal State San Marcos student Evan Delaney Rodgers had 5.51 percent.

Absentee ballots are considered a good indicator of how an election will trend in Carlsbad ---- roughly half the city's voters go the absentee ballot route, city officials have said.

However, Arnold said Tuesday night that he wasn't so sure it would be true in his case given that Bernard, who spent less than $1,000 on his campaign and refused to post signs, appeared to be ahead of him.

Arnold had spent about $20,000 on his campaign by mid October and considered himself to be one of the serious candidates in the race as opposed to Bernard, who frequently has referred to himself as a long-shot candidate.

The inventor of a soccer-golf game, Bernard is known for his unusual campaign positions. Among other things, he has argued that all new hires or promoted employees at City Hall should be required to show proof that they have owned a U.S.-made vehicle for at least two years.