San Carlos voters will choose three at-large City Council members from four candidates on Nov. 3. Three of them are incumbents.

The candidates, in ballot order

  • Mark D. Iwanowski (Business Owner/Entrepreneur)
  • Adam Rak (council member)
  • Pranita Venkatesh (Councilmember/Educator)
  • Sara McDowell (City Councilmember/Mother)

The challenger

Iwanowski, 70, is a former Oracle chief information officer. He told the Palo Alto Daily Post he saved the company more than $1 billion by consolidating 95 data centers, and he mentors veterans. He says San Carlos "doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a fiscal discipline problem." He has criticized the Harrington Park rebuild and the city's downtown plan.

The incumbents

Adam Rak, 55, has been on the council since 2018. He previously served on the school board and spent six years as a congressional aide. He supports Measure G.

Pranita Venkatesh, 59, joined the council in 2022 and is the current mayor.

Sara McDowell, 49, has been on the council since 2018 and worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce for nearly five years. She noted that the 700 block of Laurel Street remains car-free and that the city held more than 30 public meetings on downtown plans.

The tax question

The race overlaps with Measure G, a half-cent sales tax that would raise about $6 million a year. Read our Measure G explainer and our story on the Measure K school parcel tax.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.