Final Results: Andrew Sarega hands Pauline Deal stunning defeat, John Lewis to join La Mirada council

LA MIRADA    Despite an election mailer controversy and repeated battles with the council majority Andrew Sarega surprised Pauline Deal, both incumbents, by handing her a defeat for the District Two council seat by a wide margin.

In District One John Lewis a member of the planning commission was the winner in District One defeating three other contenders, beating his closest contender Diane Gramajo 34% to 26%.

The victory by the embattled Sarega was even more surprising to many, with Deal enjoying the endorsement of the other three members on the council and endorsements or support from what many consider the La Mirada political establishment comprised of  former city council members and the well-respected and former city manager Gary Sloan.

Sarega received no such support, but still received 19% more votes than Deal, with the final tally standing at 349 votes for Andrew Sarega (54%) and 292 votes (46%)  for Pauline Deal.

Local politics won out in District One as the favorite of past and many present on the council, John Lewis (340 votes 34%) finished far ahead of his nearest challenger Diane Gramajo (264 votes 26%), despite her endorsements from area Democratic party heavyweights.

Lewis ran on a platform that emphasized economic development and public safety versus Gramajo pledging to give a voice to district voters at City Hall for the first time.

Public safety commission member Jim Emmerling tallied 20% of the vote (203 votes) finishing third in District One and Tony Aiello was fourth with 194 votes (19%). This was Aiello's second attempt at a city council seat in as many elections.

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's vote recurring tension that resurfaced between Sarega and some of the other members of the council during a series of verbal attacks at recent meetings and Sarega denying responsibility for an election mailing attacking Pauline Deal.

Sarega has been at odds with some members of the council after he was bypassed in 2015 to serve as mayor-pro-tem, then as mayor as tradition would have dictated.