Vote 2024: Your guide to the Santa Cruz County general election

Election season back once again and Lookout is here to help you keep up with all the most important information leading up to Election Day.

In this guide, we’ll give you everything you need to know about the upcoming elections, including candidates, ballot measures, logistics and more.

We will continuously update this guide to include the most recent news and relevant information. Have a question about the election process? Let us know at elections@lookoutlocal.com.

JUMP TO: FEDERAL | STATE | COUNTY | CITY | BALLOT MEASURES | CAMPAIGN FINANCE | HOW TO REGISTER

When is the election?

The general election is Nov. 5.

What’s on the ballot?

Local races

Click the candidate’s names below to see their statements, contact information and link to their websites.

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

U.S. Representative in Congress, 18th District

Zoe Lofgren, Democratic Party, incumbent and top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee

Peter Hernandez, Republican Party, former San Benito County supervisor

U.S. Representative in Congress, 19th District

Jimmy Panetta, Democratic Party, incumbent

Jason Michael Anderson, Republican Party, former software systems consultant

STATE ELECTIONS

State Senate, 17th District

John Laird, Democratic Party, incumbent

Tony Virrueta, Republican Party, veteran and former U.S. Army Ranger

State Assembly 28th District

Gail Pellerin, Democratic Party, incumbent, chair of the Assembly Elections Committee and former Santa Cruz County clerk

Liz Lawler, Republican Party, former Monte Sereno city councilmember

State Assembly, 29th District

Robert Rivas, Democratic Party, incumbent, speaker of the California State Assembly

JW Paine, Republican Party, teamster truck driver

State Assembly, 30th District

Dawn Addis, Democratic Party, incumbent, assistant majority leader for policy and research.

Dalila Epperson, Republican Party, business owner and former vocational nurse

Kristen Brown is the current Capitola mayor in her second term on the Capitola City Council. She is the treasurer for the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County and a member of the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz County.

Kim De Serpa is a Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee and the chair of For Kids Foundation Monterey Bay. She has served as an elected member of the PVUSD board of trustees for more than a decade.

County Supervisor, 5th District

Incumbent Bruce McPherson is not running for reelection after three terms.

Christopher Bradford is a software engineer, former chef and current treasurer of the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County. He is a CZU Lightning Complex fire survivor.

Monica Martinez is the CEO of nonprofit Encompass Community Services, a position she has held for the past decade. She is running to address the difficulties of rebuilding after the CZU fire and to fix the roads, power, and other utilities in District 5.

For the record: An earlier version of this guide incorrectly referred to Monica Martinez as “the former CEO” of Encompass Community Services. She is the present CEO.

CAPITOLA CITY COUNCIL

Two seats are up for grabs. Incumbent Kristen Brown has termed out, while incumbent Margaux Morgan is running for reelection. The top two vote-getters will win the seats.

Enrique Dolmo Jr. has worked at New Brighton Middle School for a decade in various roles, including athletic director, campus security, transportation operator, and head coach. He is also a member of the Racial Justice Task Force.

Margaux Morgan is an incumbent who served as the mayor of Capitola in 2023 when the deluge of atmospheric rivers battered the coastline and significantly damaged many parts of Capitola.

Gerry Jensen is a business owner, general contractor and retired reserve deputy sheriff. He founded the community group Random Acts of Capitola Kindness, served as a Capitola Planning Commissioner, and is the chair of the Capitola Wharf Enhancement Project.

Melinda Orbach is a family nurse practitioner who currently works at Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) in Santa Cruz. She was a union captain and steward that worked to unionize Advanced Practice Clinicians within PAMF.

SCOTTS VALLEY CITY COUNCIL

Three seats are up for grabs. Incumbents Jack Dilles and Randy Johnson are not seeking reelection. Incumbent Donna Lind is seeking reelection. The top three vote-getters will win the seats.

Donna R. Lind has served as Scotts Valley mayor three times and was the first female Scotts Valley police officer. She has also worked as a police dispatcher and served as secretary to the city council and planning commission.

John Lewis is a Scotts Valley resident who is running on a platform that seeks to give youth a voice in the civic process, improve housing availability, and fill some of the vacant spaces along Scotts Valley Drive. He is an advocate for walkable cities and better bicycle infrastructure.

Dustin Lopez is a Cabrillo College Local Government Fellow who has lived in Scotts Valley for the past decade. He holds a Certificate of Sustainability and Environmental Studies, and seeks to improve biking and pedestrian infrastructure.

Mercedes Molloy is a Scotts Valley native and award-winning entrepreneur who created a mobile app called Safe Squad, a service that notifies its users of potentially dangerous situations.

Krista Jett is a registered nurse who worked at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University for 15 years. She hopes to serve the community where she raises her two children.

Corky Roberson is a Scotts Valley native who served as president of the Scotts Valley Little League and worked to bring the Boys and Girls Club back to Scotts Valley. He looks to focus on holding onto Scotts Valley’s small-town atmosphere while meeting state housing mandates.

Steve Clark is a former Santa Cruz Police Department deputy chief who worked for the department for 30 years. He has since volunteered for the Scotts Valley General Plan Advisory Committee where he worked to maintain Scotts Valley’s character in the midst of state-mandated growth.

WATSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL

Watsonville City Council, District 1

Eduardo Montesino is the District 1 incumbent who served as mayor in 2023. He worked on the rebuild of Ramsay Park, has pushed for the repaving of the city’s streets and played a role in overhauling the city charter, which will be voted on this November. Montesino is running unopposed.

Watsonville City Council, District 2

Vanessa Quiroz-Carter is the District 2 incumbent and current Watsonville mayor. She is a UC Santa Cruz college assistant and has also worked as an adjunct professor at Hartnell College and Cal State Monterey Bay. Quiroz-Carter is running unopposed.

Watsonville City Council, District 6

Jimmy Dutra is the District 6 incumbent who last served as Watsonville mayor in 2021. He has worked on various city efforts including road rehabilitation, the Ramsay Park and Watsonville Plaza renovations, and worked to distribute evacuation information and resources to Watsonville residents during the 2023 storms.

Trina Coffman-Gomez is a mortgage broker and Watsonville native who has served as president of Pajaro Valley Arts, advisory board chairwoman for the Salvation Army, president of Freedom Rotary and district chairwoman for Scouting America. She has also been the Watsonville representative for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Santa Cruz Metro, Pajaro Valley Health Trust and more.

LOCAL MEASURES

Measures D, L, M, N, O and P – school district bonds

All five of the measures seek to provide funds for classroom renovations and expansions, replacing utilities, upgrading technology, repairing athletic fields and gyms and more. Three of the districts — Live Oak, Pajaro Valley, and Soquel Union Elementary — are all planning to fund workforce housing.

Measure D pertains to Aromas-San Juan Unified School District and asks voters to approve the sale of general obligation bonds not to exceed $44 million. It is estimated that the bonds would raise about $2.7 million per year for the school district.

Measure L is a Bonny Doon Elementary School District bond, and asks voters to approve the sale of up to $7 million in general obligation bonds. The bonds would generate about $456,000 per year for the district.

Measure M is a Pajaro Valley Unified School District bond that asks voters to approve the sale of up to $315 million in general obligation bonds. The bonds would raise about $18.3 million per year for the district

Measure N is a Live Oak School District bond asking voters to approve the sale of up to $45 million in general obligation bonds. They would generate about $3.3 million per year for the district. This measures is solely dedicated to funding workforce housing.

Measure O is a Scotts Valley School District bond that asks voters to approve the sale of up to $85 million in general obligation bonds. They would raise about $5 million each year for the district.

Measure P is a Soquel Union Elementary School District bond that asks voters to approve the sale of up to $73 million in general obligation bonds. The bonds would raise about $4 million annually for the district.

Measure Q – Santa Cruz County Water and Wildlife Protection Initiative

This measure would fund projects focused on water conservation, water quality, flood protection and restoration, protection of public access to beaches, wildlife protection and much more. It seeks to do that by adding Chapter 4.65 to the Santa Cruz County Code, which would introduce a special parcel tax of $87 on each parcel located within the county, with some exceptions. 

The measure is expected to raise about $7.3 million annually. If approved, the tax would begin in the 2025-26 fiscal year and continue until ended by voters.

Measures R, S and T – fire district bonds

All three measures seek to improve fire stations, support fire district operations like training and replacing equipment and acquiring land for new facilities.

Measure R is a Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County bond that asks voters to approve the sale of general obligation bonds of up to $221 million, raising approximately $11.6 million for the district annually.

Measure S is a Scotts Valley Fire Protection District bond that asks voters to approve the sale of general obligation bonds of up to $24.5 million in order to raise about $1.7 million for specific projects.

Measure T is a Zayante Fire Protection District tax that asks voters to approve a tax in varying amounts — $50 for vacant parcels of less than 5 acres, $100 for vacant parcels of 5 acres or more, and $290 for residential and commercial parcels and other parcels listed with miscellaneous improvements. This measure would replace a separate parcel tax of $68 per parcel that was approved in 2016. The new tax would raise about $440,000 annually for the district.

Measure U – San Lorenzo Water District Rate Initiative

This measure asks voters in the San Lorenzo Valley Water District if they want to amend the monthly capital and water service charges set by Resolution No. 6. This amendment, if approved, would repeal all fixed water charges except the regular service charge and the private fire service charge. It would also limit future increases to the regular water service charge to 2% per year until Jan. 1, 2049.

Measures V and W – Watsonville charter amendments

Measure V is a commission service measure that seeks to amend language pertaining to boards and commissions in the Watsonville charter. It proposes to change the current language that states that “a person shall be a qualified registered elector of the city,” which means a U.S. citizen, in order to serve on the library board and all city commissions. The new language would say that a person would have only to be a resident of the city of Watsonville to be eligible for appointment.

Measure W is a measure that includes a slew of amendments to the Watsonville city charter pertaining to a variety of sections that deal with language, meeting requirements, qualifications for position applicants and benefits to city councilmembers. Click here to read all of the proposed amendments.

Measure X – Scotts Valley business tax measure

This measure asks voters to approve a modification of the current business license tax in Scotts Valley. If approved, it would result in a number of changes, including the minimum tax increasing to $150 from $90 and setting varying amounts that businesses would have to pay depending on the amount of money in their annual gross receipts. 

Measure Y – City of Capitola sales tax

This measure seeks to replace the city’s current 0.25% sales tax with a 0.5% sales tax. It is a general tax, which means that the expected proceeds — about $22 million over the 10 years it would be implemented — could go toward any municipal purpose like road maintenance, public safety, parks and recreations, Capitola Wharf repairs and more. The tax could be extended by voters in the future.

Measure Z – City of Santa Cruz beverage tax

This measure asks voters to approve a general tax of 2 cents per fluid ounce on the distribution of “sugar-sweetened beverage products” in the city. The ordinance would result in a new seven-member oversight panel to make recommendations on how to use the tax’s revenue. 

Measure HH – Lakeside Joint School District Parcel Tax

Placed on the ballot by the Lakeside Joint School District board of trustees, the measure asks voters to approve a parcel tax of $647 per parcel each year for eight years beginning July 1, 2025. The tax would be subject to annual adjustments and could increase up to 3% each year. It is estimated that the tax would raise $500,000 each year. The proceeds will go toward attracting and retaining teachers and staff, funding academic programs, mental health support and more.

Campaign finance

Local candidates and ballot measure committees are required to file campaign statements by certain deadlines, disclosing contributions they have received and expenditures they have made. Those reports, filed as Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 460s, apply to all candidates and committees that have raised or spent at least $2,000 in a calendar year.

The first filing date was July 31 and covers the period beginning when the candidate or committee first began raising or spending funds through June 30. Another filing date followed Sept. 26 and covers the period from July 1 through Sept. 21. The third filing date is Oct. 24 and covers the period between Sept. 22 through Oct. 19. There is one post-election filing date on Jan. 31 that covers the period from Oct. 20 through the end of 2024.

You can find campaign finance filings for county candidates and committees here. Click the respective links for campaign finance filings for candidates and committees in the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.

When/how do I register?

You can register up to Election Day.

On or before Oct. 21, you can register, or re-register, using the online, phone or in-person methods listed below. Oct. 21 is the last day to register in order to vote by mail. 

After Oct. 21, you will need to complete the same-day voter registration form and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. You will need to be prepared to vote in person.

Online

Those eligible to vote and those under the age of 18 who want to register for future elections can do so online at the California Online Voter Registration website.

To register online, you will need:

• Your California driver’s license or ID card.
• The last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Your date of birth.

Unsure if you’re already registered? You can check your registration status as well as where you’re registered and your registered party preference on California’s My Voter Status website.

By phone

You can request that a voter registration card be mailed to you by calling the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections office at 831-454-2060 or 866-282-5900.

In person

You can complete a voter registration card at the Santa Cruz County Elections Office at 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, Room 310. Voter registration cards are also available at many public locations in Santa Cruz County including post offices, libraries and Department of Motor Vehicles offices, as well as many government offices.

Vote by mail

Your ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 5, and received no later than Nov. 12 to be counted. Vote-by-mail ballots will be sent to every registered voter and start going out as early as Oct. 7.

Polling places

The Santa Cruz County Elections Department lists 24 polling sites, with three opening Oct. 7, three more opening Oct. 26, 14 opening Nov. 2 and four open Election Day, Nov. 5, only. Pre-Election Day hours are in the chart below; all 24 sites will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find more information and locations for ballot drop boxes here.

Accessible voting

All voting locations will be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Poll workers will be available to assist voters with disabilities to cast their vote using either a paper ballot or an ADA-compliant tablet.

To read about all the options that are available to make voting accessible, you can visit Santa Cruz County’s Voters With Disabilities page and learn about options for accessible voting from home. You can also find information about voting while homeless.

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