Candidates for Districts 1 and 5 Supervisors react to midterm election

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) - Candidates running for Districts 1 and 5 on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors are sharing their reaction to the midterm elections.

In the District 1 Supervisors race, Enrique Alvarado is leading by 63% of the vote while the incumbent, Jesus Escobar, has 37% of the vote.

For Alvarado, seeing the first batch of results brought an immediate wave of relief after a tense lead-up to election night.

"Since Monday, I was feeling a little bit anxious—the stress levels were a little high," Alvarado said. "But once those first results came out, everything was just...I mean, I was at ease. I was very, very overwhelmed with the overall result."

Meanwhile, in the District 5 Supervisors race, Patricia Lizarraga is leading by 52% of the vote while the incumbent, John Hawk, has 48% of the vote.

Despite trailing in the early counts, Hawk remains appreciative of the community's support and emphasized his deep respect for the democratic process, stating that he is ready to support his challenger if the lead holds.

"It's kind of a close race right now," Hawk said. "It's widening a little bit, but we're feeling pretty much appreciative and if I don't make it, that's okay too, and then if she wins, I'm going to help Patty get started and get going and wish her luck."

Shortly after the initial results dropped, Patricia Lizarraga turned to Facebook to express her appreciation to her supporters.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my family, my friends, every volunteer who walked beside me, and this community that opened its doors," Lizarraga wrote. "This journey was worth every step because of you."

While the final outcome hangs in the balance, the candidates are making sure to acknowledge the people who got them here. 

"I want to thank everybody for taking the time to vote. What a privilege it is to vote," Hawk said. "I want to thank the voters for that. Family and friends, we've had a number of people working on the campaign."

Over in District 1, Alvarado echoed those sentiments.

"Thank you all for your support. I won't let you guys down," Alvarado shared. "And not only that, the support that my family also gave me as well because they were supporting me through this whole ordeal, especially my wife."

Candidates in both high-stakes races remain on high alert as updated numbers are expected to roll in throughout the rest of the week.