Representatives from the "Yes On P" Campaign conceded early Tuesday night, with initial numbers showing a strong lead for opposition of the Measure. They say the campaign was the "beginning on the fight-- not the end."
Measure P was designed to ban the use of high-intensity oil extraction methods--including fracking, acidizing, and steam injection-- by future oil and gas projects on unincorporated Santa Barbara County land.
It's been an expensive campaign, with the "No on P" side backed heavily by out-of-town energy corporations that have contributed several million dollars to fight the proposed ban. The bulk of the "No" campaign money can be traced back to the group Californians for Energy Independence with contributions totaling $4 million dollars as of September 30, 2014. Whereas, Yes on P supporters, raised less than $300,000.
"Yes on P" representative, Katie Davis, describes the grassroots efforts of the campaign.
“What was really remarkable about this campaign is that a thousand local citizens, just average people, putting in their own time and money, had the courage to take on essentially the largest, most powerful corporations on the planet," said Davis.