Four candidates are running for two Moraga Town Council seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Mayor Kerry Hillis and Councilmember Steve Woehleke, whose terms end this year, face Planning Commission chair Alexis Mapel and former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Bill Carman. Voters can pick up to two, and the top two win four-year terms.

Why it matters: Moraga's last council cycle never reached the ballot. In August 2024, only three people filed for three seats, so Brian Dolan, Lisa Maglio and Graham Thiel were appointed instead of elected. This year voters get a real choice.

The candidates

  • Kerry Hillis, the mayor, was first elected in 2022. He is a public affairs manager at Alstom and sits on the Bay Area Council board. Thiel is listed as an endorser on his campaign site.
  • Steve Woehleke, an incumbent, previously served on the Planning Commission and Design Review Board.
  • Alexis Mapel has served on the Planning Commission for more than four years and now chairs it. She is West regional director at Dyne Therapeutics. Vice Mayor Dolan is listed as an endorser on her site.
  • Bill Carman, a UPS feeder driver, chaired the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2015 and volunteers with Lamorinda CERT and the county animal response team.

Moraga's candidate statements are not on the town website. They appear in Contra Costa County election materials, Lamorinda Weekly reported.

What the next council decides

  • La Sala at Hacienda de las Flores: In July the council voted 3-1 to plan demolition of the closed building, with Hillis recused and Woehleke voting no. Staff estimated demolition at $150,000 to $250,000, versus $50,000 to $100,000 for limited repairs or over $1 million for a full rebuild.
  • Parks master plan: About 10 neighbors of Rancho Laguna Park spoke against pickleball courts or a sports field there in July, even as survey votes favored a new restroom and pickleball.
  • Housing: The Planning Commission approved 49 townhouses on School Street in July, and a 27-home Moraga Terrace subdivision is under review.
  • Flags: In May the council adopted a ceremonial flag policy, 4-0, that names the Pride flag for June display at town offices.

Also on Moraga ballots

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District's District 3 seat is contested between John Donnelly and Steve Cohn after incumbent Steven Danziger dropped out and backed Donnelly. The Moraga School District race is uncontested, with two candidates for three seats. In Acalanes Union High's Area 1, incumbent Stacey Schweppe faces Nithin Iyengar, and voters also decide Measure W, a $168 parcel tax.

The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 27. Neighboring Orinda has its own council race. See every race in our Election 2026 guide.