Santa Rosa voters in City Council District 4 will choose between Planning Commissioner Terry Sanders and design board chair Melanie Jones-Carter on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Councilmember Victoria Fleming, who has held it since Santa Rosa switched to district elections in 2018, is not running again.

Why it matters: It is the only contested Santa Rosa council race this year. Mayor Mark Stapp in District 2 and Vice Mayor Jeff Okrepkie in District 6 are running unopposed, according to the city. The winner joins a seven-member council facing a deficit of more than $14 million if the city's sales tax measure fails.

Where District 4 is

District 4 covers the McDonald Avenue, Junior College, Hidden Valley and Fountaingrove areas, The Press Democrat reported. Voters can check their district on the city's map.

The candidates

  • Terry Sanders, 57, is a retired Oakland firefighter in his second term on the Santa Rosa Planning Commission. He ran for the seat in 2022 and lost to Fleming. He is vice chair of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital community board and a former chair of the Luther Burbank Rose Parade. His endorsements include Stapp, Okrepkie, Sheriff Eddie Engram, the city's firefighter and police unions, the North Bay Trades Council and the North Coast Builders Exchange.
  • Melanie Jones-Carter, 71, is retired from a career in business operations, including as an operations manager for Stanford's dining services. She chairs the city's Design Review and Preservation Board and is vice chair of the county Commission on the Status of Women. She is endorsed by Fleming, state Sen. Mike McGuire, Assemblymember Chris Rogers, the Sonoma County Democratic Party, SEIU Local 1021 and the North Bay Labor Council.

Where they stand

Measure L and the budget: Both say the city's proposed half-cent Measure L sales tax is needed. Without it, officials say cuts would fall on police and fire, which make up more than two-thirds of the general fund. Sanders told The Press Democrat he is "not a fan" of raising taxes and worries a higher rate could hurt downtown merchants. Jones-Carter said even with Measure L the city would only "stay afloat," and called the deficit her top priority.

Downtown and housing: Jones-Carter has proposed pop-up spaces for new businesses, more live entertainment on Old Courthouse Square and expanded down-payment help. Sanders wants to attract younger families and businesses, and said at a League of Women Voters forum aired by KRCB that the city is "on the right track" approving affordable housing.

Immigration enforcement: Jones-Carter wants a "real" ordinance stating the city doesn't cooperate with ICE. Sanders supports the ordinance the council adopted earlier this year limiting immigration agents' use of city buildings and parking lots.

The money

As of Sept. 19 filings, Jones-Carter had raised $30,037 and Sanders $18,178, with no independent spending reported yet, The Press Democrat reported. Jones-Carter did not sign the city's voluntary $71,804 spending cap, so she was left out of the city's candidate mailer. The next campaign finance filing is due Oct. 22.

Santa Rosa voters will also see the Sonoma County Measure H parks tax and the SRJC Measure AB bond. For every race and measure we've covered, see our Election 2026 guide.