Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps — whose first term was highlighted by her advocacy for affordable housing, battles against big oil, and a plan to make Isla Vista safer for its residents — officially launched her campaign for a second term with a sunny Saturday event at Goleta Beach on December 6.
“I’m running for reelection because, in a moment when national politics feels chaotic, divisive, and exhausting, I believe in something profoundly simple: Local government can deliver. It can solve problems. It can improve lives,” Capps told the crowd during her election campaign kickoff.
Capps, the current Board Chair and daughter of political heavyweights Walter and Lois Capps, was first appointed to the County Board of Supervisors in December 2022 after former District 2 Supervisor Gregg Hart left the position to pursue a seat in the state assembly. In June 2022, she was officially elected to serve a full four-year term as 2nd District supervisor.
Prior to her time as a county supervisor, Capps served six years as a boardmember for Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD). She has deep roots in the Santa Barbara community, with both of her parents serving as congressmembers representing the Central Coast.
Capps held a campaign kickoff at Goleta Beach, where dozens of constituents, political figures, and local leaders gathered for a beachside picnic with a taco truck, music by Spencer the Gardner, and speeches by several prominent Capps supporters and allies such as fellow Santa Barbara County Supervisors Roy Lee and Joan Hartmann, climate expert Dr. Leah Stokes from UCSB, President of the Santa Barbara County Firefighters Associations Hugh Montgomery, and Chair of the Democratic Central Committee Christian Alonso.
No other candidates have filed to run against Capps in the 2nd District, which covers Isla Vista and parts of Santa Barbara and Goleta. She has already garnered the support of many local elected officials who attended the campaign kickoff, including Buellton Mayor David Silva; Santa Barbara City Councilmembers Kristin Sneddon, Oscar Gutierrez, and Eric Friedman; Goleta Councilmembers Luz Reyes-Martín, Jennifer Smith, and James Kyriaco; and SBUSD Board of Trustee Member Gabe Escobedo and Goleta Union School Board Members Emily Zacarias and Ethan Bertrand.
Capps said she is looking forward to continuing her work in tackling the affordable housing crisis, advocating for clean energy solutions, supporting immigrant families, and ensuring that residents in Isla Vista enjoy safer living conditions. This includes Capps’s push for using county-owned land for workforce housing and her plan for addressing deadly cliff falls in Isla Vista.
While she is heavily favored to win the reelection, Capps is still focused on maintaining a strong relationship with constituents to make county government work to the benefit of those who live in Santa Barbara County
“In a time when national politics can make us feel powerless, here in Santa Barbara County we are providing a stark contrast,” Capps said. “And with your support, we’ll keep proving that local leadership can be a force for hope, for progress, and for unity.”
The 2nd District seat is one of two spots up for grabs during the 2026 election cycle. The 5th District, which covers Santa Maria and Guadalupe, already has a more crowded field with at least three candidates expected to run for the spot currently occupied by Supervisor Steve Lavagnino. Lavagnino’s Chief of Staff Corey Bantilan will be the likely lead candidate for the seat, running against challengers Maribel Aguilera-Hernandez — a Santa Maria City Councilmember and former Planning Commissioner — and Santa Maria School Boardmember Ricardo Valencia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.