Devon Wardlow, Gabe Escobedo, Ian Bauke | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Kristen Sneddon | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Salud Carbajal | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Devon Wardlow, Oscar Gutierrez, Gabe Escobedo, Wendy Santamaria, Ian Baucke | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Spenser Jaimes and Tommy Gomez | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
‘Independent’ reporter Ryan P. Cruz (right) interview Ian Baucke | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Santa Barbara Unified School District candidate Valerie Amparan at Validation Ale on Election Night | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Salud Carbajal | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Gregg Hart | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Brian Robinson, Das Williams, Spencer Brandt | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Ian Baucke | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Claudette Roehrig, President of Democratic Women (center) | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Ethan Bertrand, Eddy Tong, Andrea Varon, Ellen Stoddard | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Devon Wardlow and Gabe Escobedo | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Devon Wardlow, Ian Bauke, Gabe Escobedo | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Gregg Hart | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
JoAnne Meade Young | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Claudette Roehrig, President of Democratic Women | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Kristen Sneddon at Validation Ale on Election Night, November 4, 2026 | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Wade Cowper, Roy Lee, Paula Pham | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Gabe Escobedo | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
‘Independent’ Web Content Manager Don Brubaker (left) and Wild and Free Film Festival Executive Director Gareth Kelly | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Starshine Roshell | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Terry Ortega and Callie Fausey | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
James Kyriaco | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Election night party at Validation Ale hosted by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Gregg Hart | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Monte Wilson and family | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Aja Forner | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Bob Smith | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
James Zurlinden | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Bob Smith | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Aja Forner | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
As the blue wave washed across the nation, Santa Barbarans gathered at election night parties around town, including two just down the street from one another in the Funk Zone, as well as places like the S.B. Public Market, Convivo, and Carpinteria’s Island Brewing Company.
Co-hosted by Women Democrats of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, and Santa Barbara Young Democrats, the party at Valedation Ale drew hundreds of supporters and dozens of candidates, many of whom held substantial leads in their races.
Down Anacapa Street at SB Biergarten, Eric Friedamn and Salud Carbajal signs lined the walls. Mayoral candidate Friedman was surrounded by his family and supporters, including outgoing mayor Randy Rowse, as he struck out with an early lead on election night.
Eric Friedman’s election night party took place at SB Biergarten. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Mayoral Candidate Eric Friedman on Election night at SB Biergarten surrounded by supporters. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Mayoral Candidate Eric Friedman on Election night at SB Biergarten surrounded by supporters. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Mayoral Candidate Eric Friedman on Election night at SB Biergarten surrounded by supporters. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Mayoral candidate Eric Friedman and outgoing mayor Randy Rowse on election night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Mayoral candidate Eric Friedman and outgoing mayor Randy Rowse on election night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Candidate Eric Friedman (center) with his son (left) and outgoing mayor Randy Rowse (right) checking for updates as ballots are counted throughout the night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Scott Bull and Matt Wallace at Friedman’s election night party. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Candidate Eric Friedman checking for updates on vote numbers as ballots are counted throughout the night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Friedman had family, childhood friends from Lompoc, fellow politicians, and supporters surrounding him as he stuck out with an early lead in the mayoral race on election night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Friedman had family, childhood friends from Lompoc, fellow politicians, and supporters surrounding him as he stuck out with an early lead in the mayoral race on election night. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Eric Friedman supporters on Election night at Friedman’s party at SB Biergarten. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Friedman had family, childhood friends from Lompoc, and fellow politicians who endorsed him (including outgoing mayor Randy Rowse) in attendance at his election night party. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Friedman supporters chatted and watched the blue wave come over the nation while waiting for local election results which had Friedman with an early lead in the mayoral race. | Credit: Elaine Sanders 
Friedman supporters chatted and watched the blue wave come over the nation while waiting for local election results which had Friedman with an early lead in the mayoral race. | Credit: Elaine Sanders
Both parties had crowds cheering throughout the evening as national races kept flipping seats blue, leaving Democrats with control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
With mail in ballots still trickling into Santa Barbara’s County Election Office, tight races — like Friedman’s 374 vote lead over Sneddon — still have time to change before official counts are certified ahead of the December 3 deadline.
Check out Ingrid Bostrom’s and Elaine Sander’s photos from the election night happenings around town above.
