Oakley's City Council races for Districts 2 and 4 will not be on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. When nominations closed on Aug. 7, the only qualified candidates were the incumbents, Hugh Henderson in District 2 and Shannon Shaw in District 4. On Aug. 20 the council adopted Resolutions 67-26 and 68-26 appointing them to four-year terms ending in 2030, which cancelled the election for those seats, the city says.
Why there is no vote
Section 10229(a)(1) of the California Elections Code lets a city skip a council election when only one person is nominated for a seat, The Press reported. Noah Lake pulled papers in District 2 but did not file by the deadline, according to the city's candidate table.
The council voted 4-0 to reappoint Henderson, who is mayor, and 3-0 to reappoint Shaw, who recused herself from her own vote. Councilmember George Fuller was absent, The Press reported.
What it saves
City Clerk Kim Snodgrass said an election would have cost the city $31,000 to $50,000 per district, paid from the General Fund, according to The Press. Shaw suggested putting the money toward the new Oakley Library project. City Manager Joshua McMurray said he would bring that back as a future agenda item.
The same thing happened in 2024, when Councilmembers Aaron Meadows and Anissa Williams were reappointed unopposed for Districts 1 and 3, The Press reported.
What Oakley voters will still see
Oakley voters still get the rest of the Nov. 3 general election ballot, including state propositions and county and school races. Check your sample ballot from the Contra Costa County Elections Division.