College Dean, 2 Veterans of Council Win

SANTA CLARITA — Two veterans of north Los Angeles County politics won a narrow victory in Santa Clarita’s City Council contests, and a college dean was elected Lancaster’s first mayor, unofficial tallies showed Wednesday.

Environmentalist Jill Klajic was the top vote-getter in Santa Clarita with 3,508 votes, about 17.2% of the vote. The victory was particularly sweet for Klajic, who in 1994 lost her bid for reelection to the council by only 15 votes.

Close behind was incumbent Councilwoman Jan Heidt, who made public safety and youth issues the focus of her campaign messages. She earned 3,356 votes--16.4%, of the vote.

Valencia High School teacher and first-time candidate Frank Ferry finished third with 3,143 votes. Ferry, 30, vowed to store his campaign signs and run again in two years.

In Lancaster, Frank Roberts, a city councilman and a dean at Antelope Valley College, won the race to be the city’s first publicly elected mayor. He will serve a two-year term.

He collected 3,416 votes, or 40.4%, beating City Council rival Michael Singer, with 3,027 votes--35.8%, according to unofficial tallies.

In the race for a Lancaster City Council seat, James Jeffra came in first in a field of eight candidates, with 3,499 votes, or 41.3%.