Ready to Race: Who’s Running for Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor

The City of Santa Barbara has four contested races in the upcoming November election, with three city council seats up for grabs and a mayoral race that pits two sitting councilmembers against a slate of challengers.

In the months leading up to the election, the Independent will provide detailed coverage on each race, the candidates, and their positions on issues that are most important to voters, from housing to the future of State Street and the city budget. This week, we provide a roundup of the candidates who have filed in each race, as of the preliminary registration deadline on August 7.

Crowded Field for Mayor

When current Mayor Randy Rowse dropped his plans to run for reelection, it opened the field for two leading candidates — sitting councilmembers Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon — and several challengers who could give the top contenders a run for their money, or at least tip the scales with a strong showing at the polls.

Friedman, who currently represents District 5 on the council, is a longtime Democrat who has earned a reputation as a pragmatic moderate, often voting against his more progressive colleagues on items such as rent stabilization and the city budget. Friedman, who also works a job at Trader Joe’s, has gained popularity with business owners and workers unions, and received an outpouring of support from the community after surviving a heart attack in April 2025.

Sneddon, the current District 4 representative, has emerged as one of the more prominent progressive Democrats in the area, often leading the charge in discussions about housing affordability, environmental sustainability, and support for the city’s low-income and immigrant residents. Sneddon, who serves as geology professor at Santa Barbara City College, has already earned the endorsements of the County Democratic Party and multiple former mayors.

While Sneddon and Friedman are considered the frontrunners for mayor, the addition of multiple challengers may make for a more complicated race. Wendy Sims-Moten, executive director of First 5 Santa Barbara County and a former school boardmember, is likely to make a splash among voters familiar with her work in educational leadership. 

More late additions to the mayoral race include David Matthew Kilrain, Mark Redmond, and Michael Stilwell. Kilrain, known locally as “Boat Rat Matt,” previously ran for mayor in 2021, where he finished last in a field of six candidates with just 178 votes. Redmond, a frequent commenter during public meetings, formerly hosted a podcast called Ears on Santa Barbara.

District 4 

With Councilmember Sneddon making a run for mayor, voters will choose a new representative for District 4, which covers the Upper Eastside, Riviera, and portions of the foothills. As of the filing deadline, four candidates have submitted paperwork to run for the District 4 seat.

Current city Planning Commissioner Devon Wardlow, who graduated from Santa Barbara High School and UCSB, has already earned the endorsement of the County Democratic Party. During her time as a planning commissioner, Wardlow has advocated for affordable housing and called for protections for the city’s vulnerable spaces and populations. Wardlow has supported a city rent stabilization ordinance, and said State Street should remain closed to cars.

Attorney and former District 1 City Councilmember Jason Dominguez launched a campaign to run for another term, this time in a new district. Dominguez, a registered Democrat and self-described centrist who served as the Eastside council representative for four years, notably lost his bid for reelection in 2019 by a mere eight votes. Now, Dominguez is looking to win over independent voters who are not happy with party politics and the current direction of city leadership. 

Former software executive Monte Wilson is also running as an independent, with a platform of “common sense” policies to address the city’s housing and economic needs. Wilson says he considers rent stabilization policies punitive for landlords, and that the city should make building new housing much quicker and easier. He advocates for the return of cars to State Street, and for fiscally responsible budgeting.

Rounding out the field is Genevieve Taft-Vazquez, a corporate consultant who attended school in Santa Barbara before going on to earn degrees from Yale, Penn, and Johns Hopkins. She returned to Santa Barbara six years ago and currently serves on the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Council. Taft-Vazquez said she hopes to bring a new perspective and balance to city leadership.

District 5

Councilmember Friedman’s mayoral campaign left the door open for three candidates running in District 5, covering Upper State Street, La Cumbre, and San Roque. 

The leading candidate may be Ian Baucke, a district representative for State Senator Monique Limón, son of longtime planning commissioner John Baucke, and current chair of the city’s Transportation and Circulation Committee. Baucke is just 27 years old, but his experience in local politics and advocacy for housing affordability has already earned him the endorsement of the County Democratic Party

Challenging Baucke are political newcomers James Zurlinden and Margaret “Cevin” Cathell. Zurlinden is a former chef who now works in finance and says he is running to represent voters who “feel like they don’t have a voice in the decisions shaping our community.” He has voiced support for reopening parts of State Street and said that he believes rent stabilization could help families who are struggling.

Cathell is a film producer and longtime volunteer with local organizations, who filed to run for city council after being frustrated with the polarization on the current council. Cathell has expressed concerns about rent stabilization, and she thinks the city could experiment with reintroducing traffic to portions of State Street.

District 6

There are four candidates running to replace District 6 Councilmember Meagan Harmon, who will not be running for another term after this year. As in the other races, the downtown district race has candidates endorsed by the County Democrats and several challengers running under no party preference.

Former school district board president Gabe Escobedo is the leading Democratic candidate for District 6, earning the party’s endorsement and the support of current district representative Harmon. Escobedo, who also previously served as chair of the city’s planning commission, is a fixture in local politics, with a history of supporting affordable housing, small businesses, and preservation of public spaces.

Escobedo’s top challenger will likely be Alex Stoeber, a real estate advisor running as an independent. Stoeber has said that the city needs to increase the housing supply by addressing zoning and development standards, instead of relying on rent stabilization to address the housing crisis. 

Also running for District 6 are Anabella Lehne and Jason Carlton. Carlton, a union member and president of Carlton Electrical Construction, says he is running to ensure the needs of “residents, businesses, and workers are supported by our city.” Lehne, a notary public and former escrow assistant for Fidelity National Title, has written about the need for the city to make building more housing easier instead of implementing more regulations.