San Pablo voters can pick up to two candidates for two citywide City Council seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Four people filed: Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado, Vice Mayor Rita Xavier, Caden Cotton-Blake and Anna Villalobos. City Clerk Dorothy Gantt and City Treasurer Viviana Toledo are unopposed.
The CC Pulse reports it is the first time Pabon-Alvarado and Xavier have faced challengers since they were elected in 2018. If either loses, it would be the first new council member San Pablo voters have elected since 2020.
The dividing lines
- Rent control: Both incumbents oppose Measure S, which would cap annual rent increases at 60% of inflation or 3%, whichever is lower. Cotton-Blake and Villalobos support it. Cotton-Blake, 23, called rent control a "Band-Aid" that buys time for other tools such as community land trusts.
- Police oversight: The challengers support independent oversight of the Police Department. Xavier said the city does not need an oversight board.
- License plate cameras: Xavier and Villalobos said the cameras help solve crimes, though Villalobos said the city should contract with a company that does not cooperate with ICE. Cotton-Blake stressed community input.
San Pablo voters also decide a sales tax; see Measure R explained.
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.