Sonoma is holding its first council election under its new district system. Only one of the three seats on the ballot is contested.
Districts 3 and 5: already decided
The city says that on Aug. 19 the council appointed John Gurney to represent District 3 and Ron Wellander to represent District 5, because only one candidate qualified in each. Both are current council members, according to The Press Democrat. They take office as if elected.
District 1: the real race
- Julian Mackie, a nonprofit executive director, grew up in Santa Rosa and moved to Sonoma permanently in March, The Press Democrat reports. He wants to use underused buildings and property for affordable housing, work with experienced affordable-housing developers, and use the city's housing trust fund. He also wants to promote tourism to raise hotel and sales tax revenue.
- Peggy Hutton, a small business owner, has lived in Sonoma for more than 40 years. At a Sept. 28 League of Women Voters forum, she suggested annexation as a way to add housing.
- Michael Menefee, a retired firefighter-paramedic, has run what The Press Democrat called a "quiet, almost non-existent campaign."
The Press Democrat says Mackie and Hutton share goals on affordable housing, wildfire resilience and careful finances, but differ in approach. The paper's editorial board has endorsed Mackie. It also notes that just 400 of Sonoma's nearly 6,000 housing units are designated affordable.
Why districts?
The council switched to districts in late 2024, voluntarily, to head off the kind of California Voting Rights Act legal challenges other Sonoma County cities had faced, The Press Democrat reports.
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.