Jeff Smith, Jim Steele winners in Lake supervisorial races

Jeff Smith and Jim Steele emerged as winners in two Lake County supervisorial races early Wednesday.

Smith, a longtime incumbent representing District 2, had 55.5 percent of the vote with mail-in ballots and five out of eight precincts reporting. Challenger Jeri Spittler, a Clearlake city councilwoman, had 44.5 percent.

In the District 3 race, retired state Fish and Game biologist Steele had 58 percent of the vote with all 18 precincts reporting. Contractor John Brosnan of Upper Lake had 42 percent. The two men were contesting an open seat on the five-member Board of Supervisors.

“I’ll take that,” Smith, a 16-year veteran supervisor who previously served on the Clearlake City Council, said of his lead. He dominated the June primary with about 45 percent of the vote.

“After this long in office, I’ve upset everyone at least once,” Smith joked, attributing his success to his 38 years in the community and his ability to “listen to the last person before making my decision.”

Steele said earlier on election night that his lead looked “pretty hard to overcome.” He previously served on a local water district board and was making his first bid for a county-level office.