Novato voters in two City Council districts have contested races on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. In District 2, Mayor Rachel Farac faces Mike Little and Bob Rasmussen. In District 4, Pat Eklund, on the council since 1995, faces three challengers: Dan Christian, Chris Carpiniello and Luiggino "Lui" Galletto III.

Why it matters: Novato elects its council by district, and whoever gets the most votes wins, with no runoff. A big issue in both races is the future of the city-owned Marin Valley mobile home park.

How Novato's council works

Novato has a five-member council elected by district to staggered four-year terms. The mayor is not elected directly; the council picks a mayor and mayor pro tem from its own members each year. A third seat, District 5, is also on the ballot, but appointed Councilmember Sandeep Karkal is running unopposed, according to Marin Independent Journal reporting compiled by the nonpartisan guide Vote or Else.

District 2: northwest Novato

District 2 covers a northwest slice of the city, including much of the area along Center Road, the Marin Highlands neighborhood and the area around Sinaloa Middle School, the IJ reported.

  • Rachel Farac (incumbent) was elected in 2022 after serving on the Planning Commission, and is now mayor. She says her focus is filling vacant storefronts, attracting businesses and adding housing. The IJ reported she has the endorsement of three of her four council colleagues.
  • Mike Little, a distribution design engineer, and Bob Rasmussen, an electric incident investigator, are longtime Novato residents who both work for PG&E. Their campaigns have raised the condition of Center Road and spotty cell coverage.

District 4: southwest Novato

District 4 covers much of southwest Novato, including Ignacio Valley, Loma Verde, Marin Country Club and areas along Sunset Parkway.

  • Pat Eklund (incumbent) has served nearly 30 years and seven turns as mayor, and is known for often breaking with her council colleagues.
  • Dan Christian is a pastor and a member of the city's Economic Development Advisory Commission. He has endorsements from two current and four former council members, the IJ reported.
  • Chris Carpiniello, a building contractor who ran for county supervisor in June, says he stands for "limited government" and fiscal accountability.
  • Luiggino Galletto III, who works in entertainment development and serves as an alternate on the Design Review Commission, says he wants to represent "working-class residents" and push for more downtown business.

The Marin Valley mobile home park question

The city bought the Marin Valley mobile home park in 1997 to help senior residents facing rising rents, and the bonds used to buy it are due to be paid off in 2027, the IJ reported. Candidates disagree over whether the city should keep a promise to turn the park over to its residents at that point.

In District 4, Eklund, Carpiniello and Galletto told the IJ the city should keep that promise. Christian said the city should keep ownership but preserve the park as affordable housing. In District 2, Little said the city should hand the park over, Rasmussen said he would support more autonomy for tenants, and Farac said her priority is keeping it long-term affordable senior housing.

Endorsements

The Marin Independent Journal's editorial board recommended Farac in District 2 and Christian in District 4.

Novato voters will also see the countywide Measure P childcare tax and the Measure CC hospital tax. For every race and measure we've covered, see our Election 2026 guide.