On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, El Cerrito voters will fill two at-large City Council seats from a field of six. Mayor Gabe Quinto and Councilmember Carolyn Wysinger are running again, against challengers Kimberly White, Wally Nowinski, Forrest Lanning and Mary Ann "MJ" Jawili. The top two vote-getters win four-year terms.

Why it matters: This is El Cerrito's last citywide council race. In April the council started moving to district elections, and those begin in 2028. Candidates are split over the city's finances, the removal of Flock license-plate cameras and a contested bike lane project on Richmond Street.

Who's running

Ballot designations below are from the city clerk's list.

  • Gabe Quinto (incumbent) has been on the council for 12 years. He says the current council doesn't overspend like earlier ones, and he told a Sept. 30 forum he does not want new taxes and that the city "cannot afford a new building at this time."
  • Carolyn Wysinger (City Councilmember/Educator) is finishing her first term, which included a year as mayor. She calls renovating the public safety building, which houses police and fire, her top capital priority.
  • Kimberly White (Executive Advisor) sits on the city's Financial Advisory Board. She says El Cerrito spends about $3 million a year more than it takes in and leans too heavily on reserves.
  • Wally Nowinski (Clean Energy Marketer) is running a joint campaign with White. Both campaigned against Measure C, the library parcel tax that roughly 70% of voters rejected in June. He says the council should question budgets more closely instead of "rubber stamp" them.
  • Forrest Lanning (Earthquake Resilience Engineer) wants the city to spend within its means and keep reserves for real emergencies. He wants infrastructure built to stand up to disasters.
  • Mary Ann "MJ" Jawili (Accessibility Product Manager) supported Measure C. She wants intergenerational community spaces, since the city's senior center closed in March 2020, and clearer public reporting on city finances.

The issues dividing them

Flock cameras: In May the council voted 3-2 not to renew El Cerrito's Flock contract, with Quinto and Wysinger voting to keep it. At the forum, Jawili, Lanning, Nowinski and White all criticized Flock. Wysinger said there is no reason to bring Flock back but hopes the city finds an ethical technology for police. Quinto said more checks and balances are needed before any city keeps using Flock.

Richmond Street: The council approved an $11 million Complete Streets project that adds protected bike lanes and removes parking from Fairmount Avenue to Elm Street. Lanning, Nowinski and White said they oppose it. Lanning and Nowinski would rather put the money into safer crossings on the Ohlone Greenway. Jawili, who lives on Richmond Street, said slowing traffic there would make it safer to back out of driveways.

Finances: El Cerrito landed on the state auditor's "high risk" list after an audit that ran from 2020 to 2021, and it came off the list in December 2024. Quinto is the only candidate who was on the council during that audit.

Also on the El Cerrito ballot

El Cerrito voters also decide West Contra Costa Unified's Measure V parcel tax renewal and the regional Measure RTM transit sales tax. Every race and measure we've covered is in our Election 2026 guide.