First round of numbers in: Morris in the lead

Early voting results show Mayor Pat Morris may be on the road to winning a second term.

Morris has 53.84 percent of the vote, leading rivals James F. Penman and Rick Avila, as first round of ballot results was released shortly before 8:30 p.m.

Penman, who currently serves as City Attorney, trails with 37.31 percent of the vote. Avila, a contractor, has 8.85 percent of the vote in the first round of election results.

The first round of ballot figures included only 39 of 178 precincts.

In council races, incumbent Esther Estrada leads Virginia Marquez in the 1st Ward race.

Challenger Jason Desjardins is ahead of incumbent Dennis Baxter in the 2nd Ward race.

Challenger Joe Arnett is ahead of incumbent Fred Shorett in the 4th Ward race.

Only a small number of votes are in so far, so the leads may change as the night progresses.