Thousand Oaks Mayor Mikey Taylor held a narrow lead over challenger Karen Arreola in the City Council District 1 race after early election results flipped overnight, according to updated results published Nov. 4.

Taylor had 4,149 votes, or 51.2%, compared with Arreola’s 3,960 votes, or 48.8% — a margin of 189 votes. The race initially favored Arreola, who led Taylor 3,751 to 3,719 on election night, according to the Ventura County Star. The later totals were reported by NBC Los Angeles.

The District 1 contest was one of three Thousand Oaks City Council races on the Nov. 3 ballot. Updated results also showed Kyle Rohrbach leading Gus Gougas in District 2 and incumbent David Newman leading Victor Hayek in District 3. <Cite refs={["turn571702search0","turn571702search2"]}/>

District 1: Taylor leads Arreola

Taylor, a Republican and small business owner, was elected to the council in 2022. Arreola, a Democrat and retired biotech executive, moved to Newbury Park in 1993 and spent her career in the biotechnology field, according to the Thousand Oaks Acorn.

With the reported count, Taylor led by less than 2.4 percentage points. The margin was narrow enough to make the race one to watch as election officials continued processing and reviewing ballots.

District 2: Rohrbach leads Gougas

In District 2, Kyle Rohrbach led Gus Gougas with 3,611 votes, or 58.7%, to Gougas’ 2,542 votes, or 41.3%, in results updated Nov. 4. Rohrbach’s margin was 1,069 votes. <Cite refs={["turn571702search2","turn571702search5"]}/>

Rohrbach, an executive producer, sought the seat left open by Councilmember Bob Engler, who did not run for reelection. Gougas, a business owner, previously chaired the city’s Community Funding Review Committee.

District 3: Newman leads Hayek

Incumbent David Newman led challenger Victor Hayek with 3,441 votes, or 53.6%, compared with Hayek’s 2,977 votes, or 46.4%. Newman’s lead was 464 votes in the results updated Nov. 4. <Cite refs={["turn571702search2","turn571702search6"]}/>

Newman, elected in 2022, is seeking a second term. Before joining the council, he served eight years on the city’s planning commission. Hayek is deputy superintendent of business services for the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

What comes next

The published results reflect the count available in updates posted Nov. 4. They should not be described as certified final results unless confirmed by the Ventura County Elections Division.

The Ventura County Registrar of Voters is the official source for county election updates and certification information. Voters can also consult the city’s election information page.

This is Thousand Oaks’ first district-based City Council election. The city moved to district elections in 2024 after previously electing council members at large. Districts 4 and 5, represented by Al Adam and Tie Gutierrez, are not on the ballot until 2028.