Election results: Tina Nieto defeats opponent to become Monterey County's first Latina sheriff
Salinas residents turned up at the polls to decide which candidates they want to represent as sheriff and as District 2 supervisor.
On Election night, Tina Nieto made history as Monterey County's first Latina sheriff.
"I look forward to being a sheriff that makes every resident proud, with honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability," Nieto posted on social media Tuesday night.
Monterey County Sheriff
Two candidates, Marina Police Chief Tina Nieto and Monterey County Cpt. Joe Moses, faced off for title of top cop after a close race in June.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday night, and Nieto made a historic victory with more than 66% of the votes.
Moses had roughly 33% of the votes.
Considering the majority votes went to Nieto during the previous race, some voters at the polls said they were confident she would take the title.
"We need a change in our county jail systems and in the Monterey County Sheriff's department," said Monterey County resident Lynette Smick.
Others said they continue their strong support for Moses.
"Hopefully it goes for Moses. I'd rather have it be somebody that I've known for a while," Greenfield resident Joel Mercado said.
Others said they have mixed feelings about both candidates. Taylor Jonte-Saiz said she didn't cast a vote for either.
"I don't like the way they're campaigning against each other," she said. "We have a lot of negativity in our community already, and the way they are behaving is showing people, especially our youth, that it's okay to attack like that and I don't think it's appropriate."
Nieto was confident she would take the win and had this message to share:
"For anybody who runs for any office in today's world, my hat's off to you," Nieto said. "It is a big commitment, and I hope that we are a little less polarized as we move forward and as a nation, and for people to not run campaigns where we're not looking at qualifications."
Moses says he had spent Election Day making phone calls, knocking on doors and sending text messages to gather some last minute votes.
"What's important is just that people get out and vote," Moses said. "I'm excited I've been able to participate at this level as a candidate, encouraging people and talking to them about what the Sheriff's department does. That's been the most rewarding thing."
Nieto said she would immediately begin to transition into her new position as sheriff, achieving a major milestone as one of the first Latina sheriffs in state history.
Monterey County District 2 Supervisor
Glenn Church and Regina Gage went head-to-head to see which of them would be chosen to represent areas of North Monterey County and North Salinas on the county board.
Board supervisors determine the budget for the entire county, including the Sheriff's Department.
Church, a life-long county resident and businessman, took the win with 59% of the vote, while Gage came in with 40% of votes.
Gage did not immediately respond to the Californian's request for comment.
Church says being a county supervisor is critical position not just on how money is spent in local government, but also on the making of policies.
"One thing I find out when I go out and knock on doors is that people are unhappy with how their local government is operating," he said. "I'm hoping to go in and try to take some steps to improve on that and to empower people so that they have a role in our government."
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Monterey County Sheriff, District 2 Supervisor candidates face off
