Walnut Creek's City Council race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 has two candidates for two seats: Cherise Khaund and Brendan Moran. Voters can pick up to two, and both are expected to join the council in December 2026.
Why it matters: It is the first uncontested Walnut Creek council race "in recent history," according to the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, which swapped its usual candidate forum for a Sept. 1 "Civic Affairs Forum" with the two "councilmembers-elect."
Brendan Moran
- Planning commissioner, real estate broker and small business owner who previously worked in television production, according to the Walnut Creek Record.
- Spent about eight years on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission; sits on the Walnut Creek Library Foundation board. Lives in Larkey Park.
- Endorsed by the Contra Costa Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
- Top issue: managing growth. He backs new housing near downtown and BART and says projects should cover the traffic and infrastructure demands they create.
"We need more housing, but where and how we build it matters," Moran said in a Surround Sound News questionnaire cited by the Record.
Cherise Khaund
Khaund is the other qualified candidate, according to the city's election information cited by the Record. She took part in the Chamber's Sept. 1 forum at the Walnut Creek Library.
What else is on the ballot
Walnut Creek voters also decide Measure T, whether to make the city treasurer appointed, and Measure U, senior housing near Ygnacio Valley Road. More races in our Election 2026 guide.