Santa Clara County’s first open assessors race in more than three decades saw Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor leading after first returns on Tuesday night as four candidates vie to fill the seat vacated by longtime Assessor Larry Stone.

The special election was triggered by Stone’s decision to step down from the role in July ahead of the expiration of his term in December 2026. The 84-year-old was first elected as assessor in 1994, making him the longest-serving elected official in the county.

The assessor oversees an $8 billion public enterprise that assesses the value of more than 500,000 properties in the county.

Fligor led with 40% of the vote just after 8 p.m. Former Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar trailed behind her with 24% of the vote, followed closely by Saratoga Councilmember Yan Zhao with nearly 21% of the vote and East Side Union High School District Trustee Bryan Do with 15% of the vote.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the two leading candidates will compete in a December runoff. Greg Monteverde, who previously was the assistant assessor, is currently serving in the role in the interim.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.