Quick Take
Margaux Morgan’s political fortunes have shifted once again. After losing her reelection bid in November, she returned to the Capitola City Council on Thursday, appointed to fill a lingering vacancy. Her comeback, met with both scrutiny and support, reshapes the city’s leadership and adds experience to a still-green dais.
Margaux Morgan’s past three months have been a roller coaster of political fortune. After one term on the Capitola City Council and one year as mayor, she lost her November bid for reelection. In December, she officially stepped off the dais with the end of her term. Now, she’s back.
Morgan, who served most of her first term under her former married name, Keiser, took the oath of office on Thursday after the city council supported her return for an interim 22-month term. Morgan now occupies the seat vacated earlier this month by Yvette Brooks, who resigned midway through her second term for the role of CEO at United Way of Santa Cruz County.
“I’m confident,” Morgan told Lookout about her ability to step into the fifth city council seat on the fly. “I know the role, I know two of the councilmembers. It’ll be good to have some congruency and a somewhat seamless transition.”
Nearly 1,600 Capitolans voted for Morgan in November, putting her in third place in the race for two open seats, behind now-councilmembers Melinda Orbach and Gerry Jensen. Her return rubbed some voters the wrong way; opponents cited Morgan’s failed reelection bid — in which she received 839 fewer votes than in 2020 (a 34% drop) — as an indictment of her ability to govern. Others, however, viewed her experience as crucial to help lead a city council that, excluding Morgan, boasts a combined four years of governing experience.
Morgan was one of 10 candidates who threw their hat into the ring for the interim role. However, she was nearly appointed outright on Jan. 16. The city council initially supported a closed selection process between Morgan and Enrique Dolmo Jr., who placed fourth in November’s general election. The reason, as voiced by councilmembers Alex Pedersen and Orbach, was that the two candidates were the only other people who stepped up to run for city council last fall and, by dint of their campaigns, proved their commitment and desire to govern the city.
Scheduling conflicts delayed the decision during a Jan. 16 special meeting. Jensen then argued the city should take a more open route and let any eligible Capitolan apply to serve. Councilmember Joe Clarke agreed and, after some pushback, Pedersen and Orbach yielded.
The field of 10 applicants included Morgan, Dolmo, John Mulry, Laura Jane Alioto, Lunamar Harter, Michael Gutierrez, Peter George Wilk, Rachel Neuman and Susan Westman. Morgan came in with previous endorsements from Orbach and Pedersen, but Westman brought some buzz and experience that appeared to threaten that momentum. Westman served as Capitola’s city manager and chair of the city’s planning commission during the 1990s. In the final 3-1 vote for Morgan, Jensen was the only councilmember to go for Westman.
As Morgan resumed her seat behind the dais, her mother, Carol Morgan, all smiles, recorded the moment on her smartphone. She then leaned over to a friend and giggled with glee.
“She’s really up there!” she whispered.
Morgan’s first vote as an interim councilmember was for Clarke to take over as mayor, a rotational post previously held by Brooks. Clarke won unanimous support from his council colleagues. Morgan’s second vote dealt with vice mayor, which ended up a less unified decision. Pedersen received a narrow 3-2 majority, with Clarke and Jensen voting against.
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