POWAY -- Incumbent Merrillee Boyack and attorney Jim Cunningham were leading a field of four seeking two seats on the Poway City council Tuesday night.

With about 11 percent of the votes counted, all unofficial absentee votes cast before Tuesday, Boyack was leading with 35.6 percent and Cunningham with 31.9 percent.

Trailing in the race were Chuck Cross with 18.4 percent and Howard Collins with 14 percent.

"I'm obviously very happy," Cunningham said. "It was a lot of hard work. I started out in February, so I put in nine months of work."

Cunningham, an attorney, ran with the endorsement of Mayor Mickey Cafagna and council members BobEmery and Don Higginson. He entered the race before any other candidate and also raised and spent more.

Cunningham said studied five years of council agendas and minutes before entering the race, and then began a door-to-door campaign.

"I personally knocked on 4,200 doors over a 22-week period," he said. "I thought it would be the most difficult part of the campaign, but it was the best part of the campaign. I met the greatest people in Poway and met people who had never haed a candidate knock on teir door before. I found out generally that Poway is one great community as opposed to what some people see, a North Poway and a South Poway."

Cunningham said he plans on meeting with the mayor and city attorney on Wednesday in anticipation of joining the council.

Boyack, an estate-planning attorney, was elected to the council four years ago and is the only incumbent seeking re-election. Bob Emery, a council member since the city incorporated in 1980, is not seeking re-election.

Besides working from home as an attorney, Boyack is a professional lecturer and author of "The Parenting Breakthrough," "Strangling Your Husband is NOT an Option," and "52 Weeks of Fun Family Service." She also is vice president of the local chapter of Mothers Without Borders and a Boy Scout volunteer.

Collins is an 18-year Poway resident and insurance professional who has served on several community groups in the city.

Cross, a 24-year city resident, is best known for his years of volunteer work with the Poway Midland Railroad.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.