Continuing the tally of Sikh Americans who ran for office in this 2012 election cycle, the city of Lathrop, California, has elected City Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal as Mayor:

LATHROP – Veteran City Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal appeared headed toward a landslide victory Tuesday night in the highly contentious race to unseat Mayor J. “Chaka” Santos after one two-year term in office.

With three precincts reporting, Dhaliwal, 52 – a Lathrop council member since 2006 and a former planning commissioner – was leading Santos, 61, an entrepreneur and marinade manufacturer – 69 percent to 30 percent.

Dhaliwal is the second report of a Sikh American in California winning a seat in a local election.