Bagby, Schwedhelm solidify lead for runoff spots in Sonoma County's 4th District supervisor race
Two candidates in the nail-biter race for Sonoma County's 4th District supervisor seat have staked out the widest leads yet in updated election returns Tuesday, with the top finisher, Melanie Bagby, securing her place in the November runoff.
Bagby, a former Cloverdale mayor and council member, led with 37.3% of the vote, followed by Tom Schwedhelm, a former Santa Rosa mayor and retired police chief, with 32.04%.
"I'm very proud that we ran a great campaign and we're looking forward to doing it again in November," Bagby said by phone Tuesday.
Schwedhelm, in a phone call, said he was "pleased" with the results so far.
"This is what we've been hoping for, being in the top two," he said.
Todd Lands, a Cloverdale City Council member and current vice mayor, had 30.66% of the vote. Lands initially led in early results but has slowly lost ground in updated returns.
He appeared to concede in a message posted on his campaign's Facebook page Tuesday afternoon but left out that concession in a statement sent to The Press Democrat for this story. He later sought to walk back that concession in text messages with a Press Democrat reporter and ultimately amended the Facebook post to say he did not think he would make it to the November runoff.
Tuesday's posted results included 25,193 votes in the race for the north county seat on the Board of Supervisors. There are 63,036 registered voters in the 4th District and turnout countywide is projected at about 45% to 50%.
The updated returns Tuesday incorporated the largest number of newly counted ballots since Election Day, with more than 35,000 ballots added to the updated tally.
The Registrar of Voters indicated 45,211 ballots are still left to process countywide.
Until now, the three 4th District candidates had been locked in a dead heat since voting ended June 2.
The competitive race is for a rare open seat on the county's five-member board. Supervisor James Gore announced last year that he would not seek reelection, guaranteeing new representation for the 4th District for the first time since 2015.
The race's high stakes, plus the close nature of the primary, could make for a fierce November runoff. The June primary had already attracted interest from local political heavy-weights and deep-pocketed campaign donors.
Lands, in a written statement shared with The Press Democrat, thanked his supporters, including donors and volunteers, for their help in "a long and hard fought campaign."
"While these initial results are not what we were hoping for, there are still many votes left to count and we will be watching closely to see where this race goes," Lands said.
The same statement was posted to his campaign's Facebook page. But it also included an apparent concession at the top:
"The most recent ballot count is in. We won't be advancing to the general election. Thank you to everyone who supported my campaign. It really has meant so much to me and my team. It has been an honor to go out and meet with my neighbors in the Fourth District. I wish Tom the best of luck on his run."
When The Press Democrat reached out to clarify the discrepancy between the Facebook post and the written statement, Lands said he was not conceding.
"I would bet a year's paycheck that the numbers will not go up for me and Tom will win. If it changes, I will take the seat," he wrote in a text message.
A few minutes later he informed The Press Democrat his Facebook post had been amended to say "We don't think we'll be advancing…"
Asked about Lands' Facebook post, Schwedhelm said, "The election's not final, I have not talked to Todd…I can't comment on what he's feeling, I just know what the numbers are showing."
The 4th District spans northeastern Sonoma County, including Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor and northern Santa Rosa and the grape growing regions of Alexander and Dry Creek valleys.
The race is one of two for open seats on the board, a first in 16 years. In the county's 2nd District, four candidates were vying to succeed Supervisor David Rabbitt who has represented the area since 2011.
That race, though competitive, has been far less tight with the top two finishers clear in preliminary returns last week. In the latest update, Petaluma City Schools Trustee Joanna Paun, a progressive candidate with support from some of the county's largest labor groups widened her lead, with 40.15% of the vote.
Cotati Mayor Sylvia Lemus, who is running as a centrist with backing from business and farm organizations, had received 25% of the vote, up slightly from last week.
"I continue to be confident and look forward to the November election," Lemus said in a text.
Paun could not be reached by deadline.
First-time candidate for public office Shelina Moreda, a professional motorcycle racer from a Petaluma-area dairy family, had 19.02% of the vote, while John King, the Penngrove rancher and operational engineer who has run twice before for the seat had 15.83%.
The 2nd District had 67,767 registered voters going into the primary.
The district takes up much of southern Sonoma County, covering Petaluma, Penngrove, Cotati and a sliver of Rohnert Park, as well as the farm belt stretching from the coast to San Pablo Bay east of Petaluma.
You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 6:35 PM.