Monahan could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
The election has not yet been certified.
Monahan had 13,809 votes to Stephens' 13,671, according to the registrar's office, which was still counting provisional ballots from the Nov. 6 election.
The council term will be Monahan's fifth. The restaurateur and Eastside resident campaigned alongside Mensinger, also an incumbent, and Planning Commission Chairman Colin McCarthy as the "3Ms" slate, a reference to the first letter in each of their last names.
Stephens, who campaigned alongside former Mayor Genis — who earned the most votes at 15,807 — and businessman Harold Weitzberg as the "Top 3" slate, has said the afternoons since Nov. 6 are like the "5 o'clock flop," as in every day at that time eyes look to see the updated registrar data online.
Mensinger came in second place with 14,065 votes.
Registrar Neal Kelley said his team, which has been working nonstop, is hoping to have the votes certified by Nov. 21. But it could happen the weekend after Thanksgiving, he said.
He estimated there are about 50,000 ballots left to count countywide, with the number going down every day.
lauren.williams@latimes.com; bradley.zint@latimes.com
Twitter: @thedailypilot
