MENLO PARK — November 4, 2026. The city council contest in Menlo Park’s District 2 is separated by only nine votes in the county’s semi-official election-night report. Vamsi Velagapudi has 721 votes (50.31%) and Drew Combs has 712 (49.69%).

More ballots remain outside the count

This narrow margin could change during the canvass. San Mateo County warns that ballots received from October 31 through Election Day and afterward have not yet all been added, and the report omits conditional and provisional ballots. Although the contest appeared on the November 3 ballot, its official outcome has not been established.

How the other districts stand

District 1 shows Wonman Lee with 510 votes to James Rohr’s 175. In District 4, Laura Melahn has 968 votes versus 552 for Charlotte Reed. They are independent district elections, not three seats elected in a single at-large contest.

All figures are from San Mateo County’s semi-official final election-night report updated November 4, 2026 at 2:03 a.m. The county explicitly says many mail, conditional and provisional ballots remain uncounted. The next update is scheduled for November 5 before 4:30 p.m.; certification is planned for December 3.

Sources: San Mateo County official election-night results; County Elections Office: reporting schedule and outstanding ballot notices. For statewide contests, visit California58’s election hub.

YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER NEEDS YOU

Help this community newspaper grow

Your support helps build coverage for the people and places this local newspaper serves.

Donate once by card ↗
Help Menlo Park News grow Help strengthen reporting on Menlo Park: community voices, important decisions and local life.
Support Menlo Park News

Choose how to support Menlo Park News:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. When possible, add “Menlo Park News” to the payment note. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.
Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

Menlo Park News — Your Community Newspaper

Have a correction, news tip, local announcement, or story to submit? Contact our editorial team. All submissions are reviewed before publication.

Contact the Menlo Park News newsroom →

More from Menlo Park News

Visit Menlo Park News →

COMMUNITY

Comments

Join the California58 conversation. You must be signed in to comment.