Dublin San Ramon Services District Division 2 Election 2026: Kismat Kathrani vs. Donald Downey for an Open Seat
Two newcomers are running for Division 2 on the Dublin San Ramon Services District board: Kismat Kathrani, a technology business owner, and Donald Downey, a registered geologist. The current director is not on the candidate list.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 3 min read
San Mateo-Hayward Bridge over San Francisco Bay. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
The Dublin San Ramon Services District has one contested seat on the Nov. 3 ballot, in Division 2.
The candidates
Kismat Kathrani, ballot designation: Technology Business Owner. Ballotpedia also lists Kathrani as a June 2026 primary candidate for Contra Costa County Assessor.
Donald Downey, ballot designation: Registered Geologist.
An open seat
The county lists Edward Ross Duarte, who was appointed to a vacancy, as the current officeholder. Duarte is not among the candidates, so the seat will have a new director either way.
Ballot designations are the short job descriptions candidates chose for the ballot, as printed on the county's official candidate list. This explainer does not endorse anyone.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
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San Ramon Valley Unified has one contested board race this fall. Rachel Hurd, who has represented Area 5 for five terms, faces Joel Woods, a longtime San Ramon resident and substitute teacher running for office for the first time.
Dublin Unified voters in two trustee areas pick board members on Nov. 3. Area 3 is a short-term seat between two newcomers; in Area 5, incumbent Dan Cherrier faces longtime PTA and bond-oversight volunteer Seema Badar.
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Mayor Mark Armstrong faces two first-time candidates, while appointed Councilmember Richard Adler and Vice Mayor Marisol Rubio defend council seats. Bishop Ranch redevelopment, traffic and the end of Measure N money dominate.
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