Morgan Hill voters will pick a mayor and two City Council members on the Nov. 3 ballot, and all three incumbents are running again. Seven names will appear on the ballot across the three races, and one more mayoral candidate is running as a write-in.

Who is on the ballot

The city clerk's qualified candidates page lists the candidates in the order they will appear on the ballot, which was set by the Secretary of State's randomized alphabet drawing:

  • Mayor: Kristopher Clayton, Deborah Africa and Mark Turner (incumbent). Jacob Montoya is a qualified write-in candidate.
  • Council District B (northeast Morgan Hill): Steven Hayes and Yvonne Martinez Beltran (incumbent).
  • Council District D (east side): Dolores Alvarado and Marilyn Librers (incumbent).

The mayor's race

This is the first Morgan Hill mayoral election for a four-year term. Voters approved Measure B in 2024, lengthening the job from two years, so the winner will serve through 2030, San José Spotlight reported.

Mark Turner, a former Gilroy Chamber of Commerce CEO, was elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024 and is seeking a third term. He told San José Spotlight that the budget and new revenue are his top priority. He pointed to Archer Aviation and Heron Power, which he said could bring up to 900 jobs, and to plans to make the city a destination for youth sports, including a planned BMX track. He says the share of residents who work in town has grown from about 28% to more than 35%.

Deborah Africa, a retired registered nurse who has lived in Morgan Hill for more than four decades, is running on safe neighborhoods, transparent government and growth with real affordability. She says big decisions on growth, traffic, housing and city finances have moved ahead without enough public discussion.

Kristopher Clayton, a lifelong resident, Live Oak High graduate and carpenter, lists fiscal responsibility, public safety, roads and "smarter" growth as his priorities. In his candidate statement, published by the Morgan Hill Times, he says working families should be able to afford to stay.

District B

Yvonne Martinez Beltran has held the seat since 2018 and is finishing her second four-year term. Her colleagues censured her last month, San José Spotlight noted. She has a master's in urban planning and says her experience means the city "cannot afford a learning curve." Her challenger, Steven Hayes, is a Gilroy fire captain and paramedic and a past president of the Gilroy Firefighters Association. He calls the city's financial stability the top issue and also wants to focus on public safety and parks.

District D

Mayor Pro Tem Marilyn Librers, a retired nonprofit executive, served on the council from 2008 to 2016 and again since 2022. She wants local control over housing and more business in downtown and the industrial parks to help the budget. Dolores Alvarado, CEO of the Community Health Partnership clinic group and a division director at the county Public Health Department, says new housing must fit street capacity and school routes and that residents should hear about projects early.

How to vote

The deadline to register is Oct. 19. Vote-by-mail ballots are out, and early voting began Oct. 5, according to the Morgan Hill Times. Recordings of the mayoral and council candidate forums, hosted by the city and the AAUW in September, are linked from the city's election page.