Mount Shasta City Council: Just Three Votes Separate Stearns and Warnick for Second Seat

MOUNT SHASTA, Siskiyou County — November 5, 2026. A three-vote margin is all that separates two candidates competing for the second of two City Council seats in Mount Shasta. The county’s latest reported tally shows Kenji Guy Dorsey-Imabori with 412 votes, Tim Stearns with 340 and Wendy A. Warnick with 337. The top two lead the count, but the results remain unofficial.

The second-seat calculation

In a two-seat race, the crucial margin is between Stearns in second place and Warnick in third, not the gap between the top two candidates. The county’s return also lists Vicki Barr with 264 votes and Roslyn McCoy with 198. Because the measure is a multiple-seat election, these numbers are candidate selections rather than a count of unique individuals who submitted ballots.

Why three votes cannot settle this election

One additional validated ballot could affect the margin, depending on selections; three votes in an election-night report do not establish a certified winner. The county still needs to process eligible mail and provisional ballots, including ballots needing signature corrections. Reporting 100% of precincts is not the same as completing the canvass.

The town also voted on local taxes and schools

Mount Shasta residents faced a separate Measure H municipal question, a Measure L fire funding proposal and Measure J for the elementary school district. Each has its own legal voting threshold and Yes/No count, separate from a council election. California58 is publishing an independent breakdown of those measures rather than assuming that one candidate’s votes explain voters’ tax preferences.

What readers should track

The county’s Wednesday-afternoon update differs from the initial election-night batch. Readers should note the source timestamp when sharing the result. For background on local government, California58’s meeting-access guide explains how to follow the council once the election is certified.

Source, date and certification

The figures derive from Siskiyou News’s Nov. 5 analysis of the county’s election summary Update #3, which records a reporting timestamp of November 4, 2026 at 3:03 p.m. Pacific. Voters can follow the Siskiyou County Clerk’s official election results for later canvass releases. Eligible additional ballots may change the totals. County official results are due by December 3 and statewide certification by December 11. The figures above are preliminary, not certified.

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