McKeon, Burns, Gruel and Davis lead Huntington Beach council race

Mayor Casey McKeon, Councilmen Pat Burns and Andrew Gruel and candidate Ben Davis led preliminary returns for four Huntington Beach City Council seats as of 1:30 a.m., according to Voice of OC. Candidate Erin Spivey trailed Davis by 118 votes, with results still preliminary.

The election will determine a majority of the council in the Orange County city. According to Voice of OC, the council's Republican majority has pursued legal challenges against the state over elections, housing and zoning.

The leading group changed as more returns arrived. Spivey and candidate Taryn Palumbo were initially among the top four, but Burns and Gruel later moved ahead of them, Voice of OC reported.

The county Republican Party endorsed McKeon, Burns, Gruel and candidate Brian Thienes, according to the publication. Three candidates from that endorsed group were among the preliminary leaders.

The county Democratic Party endorsed Spivey, Palumbo, Davis and candidate Brenda Glim. Davis was the only candidate from that group in the top four at the reported update.

Voice of OC described the council majority's disputes with the state as involving local control of elections, housing and zoning. The four seats at stake give voters a role in shaping the council majority that will address those issues.

The 118-vote gap between Davis and Spivey left the final seat unsettled in the preliminary count. The reported standings were not final election results.