Tracy City Councilman Bob Elliott steadfastly maintained his 50 percent-plus lead over contender Rhodesia Ransom’s 40 percent-plus showing as the votes were counted Tuesday night.

By two minutes past midnight Wednesday, the “unofficial final” election results from the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters in Stockton had Elliott garnering 14,343 votes – 53 percent of the total ballots cast in 91 precincts – to Ransom’s 12,638 votes or 46.70 percent.

Elliott, who stands to succeed fellow Tracyite and dairyman Leroy Ornellas, will represent the 5th District San Joaquin Supervisor seat which, under new district boundaries that now excludes Ripon, covers Manteca south of Yosemite Avenue, Tracy, and Mountain House.

A veteran of the United States Army who graduated in the top five percent of his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, Elliott said when he announced his candidacy in June that his “primary concern will be ensuring adequate funding for public safety.”

With the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office being on the front line in addressing the rampant crime and gang problems in the county, Elliott said, “we need to do everything we can to ensure that our communities are safe” and that “potential employers won’t bring new jobs to communities they view as unsafe.”

As part of his campaign platform, Elliott also promised that one of his chief concerns as an elected official will be to protect San Joaquin County’s “water resources and opposing burdensome regulations that affect agricultural production” in recognition of agriculture as the county’s number one industry.

A native of Kansas, Elliott served on diplomatic assignments at the U.S. Embassies in Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, Korea. After his Army stint, he served in a variety of positions with various General Electric affiliates. He is currently a program manager for Westinghouse Electric Company.

Ransom, also a resident of Tracy, is an educator, planning commissioner, and director of a non-profit organization, according to her official web site. She is also an associate faculty member at the University of Phoenix Graduate School of Business, with more than 15 years’ experience in management in the private sector.