Meet the candidates running for the District 6 Santa Cruz City Council seat – and get ready for the June 2 primary

Quick Take

Lookout offers short videos from the two candidates – Renee Golder and Gabriella Noack – running for the District 6 seat.

How will the next Santa Cruz City Council look? What priorities matter downtown and on the Westside?

Here, Lookout offers short videos from the two District 6 candidates, incumbent Renee Golder, who is principal of Bay View Elementary School, a mom and a native Santa Cruzan, and Gabriella Noack, a senior at UC Santa Cruz who, if elected, would be the youngest-ever councilmember at 23.

ELECTION 2026: Read more local, state and national coverage here from Lookout and our content partners

We asked each candidate the same five questions. We think hearing from the candidates directly – in addition to the rest of our Election 2026 coverage – will give readers a sense of who they are, what they stand for, and how they could shape the future of the city. We include their responses here in alphabetical order.

A reminder: District 6 covers the lower Westside, the westernmost part of the upper Westside and part of the UC Santa Cruz campus.

The first vote happens in the June 2 primary. Whether you’re already following the race or just getting up to speed, here’s a look at each candidate – in their own words – before you cast your vote.

You can also see them live at Lookout’s next candidates forum, Thursday at Hotel Paradox, featuring these candidates, along with mayoral contenders and District 4 candidates Scott Newsome and Hector Marin. Get more information and RSVP for free here.