Quick Take
The field is set for Santa Cruz County’s nonpartisan general election on Nov. 5. Scotts Valley Mayor Randy Johnson chose not to seek reelection after 28 years on the city council. In Watsonville, a former councilmember will challenge incumbent Jimmy Dutra for his city council seat. And there are competitive races for offices ranging from county supervisor to local fire districts. But not all of the 108 seats up for election have attracted candidates, and most races will not be competitive.
If there is a formal sounding of the gunshot for any local election season, it is the close of the candidate filing deadline. As of 5:01 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, the race has officially begun in Santa Cruz County.
Within the county, from two congressional races all the way down to the Santa Cruz Port District, there are 108 seats up for election. There are two competitive races for the Santa Cruz County board of supervisors, contested contests for city council in Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola, as well as majority of trustee seats up on the Santa Cruz County Board of Education, Pajaro Valley Health Care District, and the Cabrillo Community College District.
Yet, 70 seats on the ballot, well over half, were uncontested as of the filing deadline – 29 of which govern local boards of education and school districts.
Only eight school board seats up for election are contested, and four have no candidates at all. A total of six open seats countywide have no one running for them as of Friday’s filing deadline. This includes the Area 6 trustee on the Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Education (vacated by Sheila Coonerty, who also termed out).
Yet, this season will also bring some lively competition.
The two races for seats on the Santa Cruz County board supervisors have been set since the March 5 primary election. Each race will replace a retiring three-term supervisor with a new face. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, the race for District 5 features nonprofit executive Monica Martinez against local business owner and activist Christopher Bradford. Martinez was far ahead of three other candidates in the primary, nearly winning the race outright. Whoever wins will replace Bruce McPherson, one of the county’s true political heavyweights.
In Mid-County, along the shores of Aptos and Rio Del Mar, the race for District 2 supervisor features Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown and Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Kim De Serpa. Both women were seen as favorites in the primary and finished far ahead of the other three candidates vying to replace incumbent Supervisor Zach Friend, who will step down after 12 years.
In Capitola, two city council positions are up for election, including incumbent Margaux Keiser’s seat. To get reelected, Keiser will have to finish among the top two in a field of four that includes Melinda Orbach, Gerry Jensen, and Enrique Dolmo Jr.
Scotts Valley will have potentially the most competitive city council race, as seven candidates are running to fill three open seats. Two of the seats are being vacated by incumbents who have decided to retire: Mayor Randy Johnson told Lookout on Friday he is stepping down after 28 years on the city council; Councilmember Jack Dilles said 2024 would be his final of eight years on city council. Incumbent Councilmember Donna Lind is seeking reelection, and will have to finish in the top three to earn a seat in a crowded field that includes John Lewis, Krista Jett and Mercedes Molloy.
In Watsonville, three incumbents are up for reelection but only one will face a challenger. District 1 Councilmember Eduardo Montesino and Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter (District 2) will run uncontested for their return to the dais. Former Cabrillo College trustee Martha Vega had shown an interest in challenging Quiroz-Carter and took out papers to file for candidacy, but County Clerk Tricia Webber said Saturday that Vega did not complete her paperwork by the Friday deadline. Councilmember Jimmy Dutra will face Trina Coffman-Gomez for his District 6 seat. Coffman-Gomez previously served back-to-back terms on the city council from 2012 to 2020. City rules allow a third term for termed-out council members who wait at least two years to run again.
Another race that stands out is the Felton Fire District, where seven candidates are vying for three seats. As Lookout has reported, the Felton Fire District has run into significant financing challenges, even teetering on insolvency. It is a trend that has hit rural fire departments across the county, as well as the state. The Boulder Creek Fire District has three open seats and four candidates, while the Scotts Valley Fire District has five candidates for three open seats.
Who is running?
Here’s the complete list of candidates for nonpartisan local races reported by Santa Cruz County’s Elections Department as of 5 p.m. Friday:
Santa Cruz County Supervisor – 2nd District
Kristen Brown
Kim De Serpa
Santa Cruz County Supervisor – 5th District
Christopher Bradford
Monica Martinez
City of Capitola, Councilmember – 2 Seats
Margaux Morgan (incumbent)
Melinda Orbach
Gerry Jensen
Enrique Dolmo Jr.
City of Scotts Valley, Councilmember – 3 Seats
Donna R. Lind (incumbent)
John Lewis
Krista Jett
Corky Roberson
Mercedes Molloy
Steve Clark
Dustin Lopez
City of Watsonville, Councilmember – District 1
Eduardo Montesino (incumbent)
City of Watsonville, Councilmember – District 2
Vanessa Quiroz-Carter (incumbent)
City of Watsonville, Councilmember – District 6
Jimmy Dutra (incumbent)
Trina Coffman-Gomez
Santa Cruz County Board of Education – Trustee Area 3
Greg Larson
Santa Cruz County Board of Education – Trustee Area 4
Edward Estrada (appointed incumbent)
Santa Cruz County Board of Education – Trustee Area 5
Rachel Williams (appointed incumbent)
Santa Cruz County Board of Education – Trustee Area 6
Ed Acosta
San Benito County Board of Education – Trustee Area 2
Drew McAlister
Cabrillo Community College District – Trustee Area 3
Christina Cuevas (incumbent)
Cabrillo Community College District – Trustee Area 4
Ken Wagman
Cabrillo Community College District – Trustee Area 5
Manuel Bersamin
Cabrillo Community College District – Trustee Area 7
Steven Laird Trujillo (incumbent)
West Valley-Mission Community College District – Trustee Area 5
Diane Lamkin
Mary-Lynne Bernald
Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District – 2 Seats
Heather Kelley
No candidate listed
Happy Valley Elementary School District – 2 Seats
Katie Freeman (incumbent)
David Marshall Stahl
Happy Valley Elementary School District (short term) – 1 Seat
Carly Trotter (appointed incumbent)
Lakeside Joint Elementary District – 2 Seats
Rhoxanne Morris (appointed incumbent)
Nova Beck
John L. Miller
Tim Fishback
Live Oak School District – 2 Seats
Tammy Summers
Wendy Johnson
Live Oak School District (short term) – 1 Seat
Kristin Pfotenhauer (incumbent)
Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary School District – 2 Seats
Ronald Bourque (governing board member)
Erin Asheghian (incumbent)
Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District – 2 Seats
Theresa Ann Bond (incumbent)
Katherine Tseng
Mountain Elementary School District – 2 Seats
No candidates listed
Pacific Elementary School District – 1 Seat
Gwyan Rhabyt (incumbent)
Pajaro Valley Unified School District – Trustee Area 2
Carol Turley
Georgia Acosta
Pajaro Valley Unified School District – Trustee Area 3
Gabriel Jesse Medina
Oscar Soto
Pajaro Valley Unified School District – Trustee Area 6
Jessica Carrasco
Adam Bolaños Scow
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District – Trustee Area 3
Grace Pollak
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District – Trustee Area 5
Jacqui Rice
Santa Cruz City Schools district – Trustee Area 3
Mary Anne Robb
Santa Cruz City Schools district – Trustee Area 6
No candidate listed
Santa Cruz City Schools district – Trustee Area 7
Patty Threet (incumbent)
Scotts Valley Unified School District – 3 Seats
Michael Shulman (incumbent)
Mitali Hindia Weiglein (appointed incumbent)
Gary Redenbacher
Tuka Gafari
Erica B. Turzak
Stephanie Espinola
Soquel Union Elementary School District – Trustee Area 1
Amanda Jackson Miller
Soquel Union Elementary School District – Trustee Area 2
Kallista Edmundson (incumbent)
Soquel Union Elementary School District – Trustee Area 4 (short term)
Ariel Gray (appointed incumbent)
Soquel Union Elementary School District – Trustee Area 5
Ted Donnelly
Aromas Tri-County Fire Protection District – 2 Seats
Kevin L Strottrup (incumbent)
Michael Miller (incumbent)
Nazhat Parveen Sharma
Aromas Tri-County Fire Protection District (short term) – 1 Seat
Cliff Sloma
Ben Lomond Fire Protection District – 2 Seats
Glenn Cady (incumbent)
Sean Castagna (incumbent)
Boulder Creek Fire Protection District – 3 Seats
Robert Locatelli (incumbent)
Chris Currier (incumbent)
David Scruggs (appointed incumbent)
Vince Y. Cortinas Sr.
Central Fire District – Division 1
Lani Faulkner
Central Fire District – Division 2
Jake Hess
Central Fire District – Division 3
Don Littlefield
Felton Fire Protection District – 3 Seats
Mike Shults (appointed incumbent)
Mark Giblin
Erica Schwanbeck
Judy Anderson
Jeffrey Myers
Adam Hensleigh
Doug Conrad
Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District – 3 Seats
Robert Erbe (incumbent)
Dave Martone (incumbent)
Jake Dellamonica
Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District (short term) – 1 Seat
Ashley Moules (appointed incumbent)
Scotts Valley Fire District – 3 Seats
Daron L. Pisciotta (incumbent)
Michael Weaver
Philip Hover-Smoot
Ron Whittle
Zachary A. Raney
Zayante Fire Protection District – 2 Seats
Garry “Tick” Herceg (incumbent)
Lyle Fleming (incumbent)
Zayante Fire Protection District (short term) – 2 Seats
John Schneider (appointed incumbent)
Kristi Locatelli (appointed incumbent)
Central Water District – 2 Seats
John Benich (incumbent)
Robert Postle (incumbent)
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency – Division B
Stephen Rider (incumbent)
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency – Division D
Robert B. Culbertson (incumbent)
San Lorenzo Valley Water District – 2 Seats
Bryan Largay (appointed incumbent)
Alina Layng (appointed incumbent)
Bill Smallman
Bruce Holloway
Scotts Valley Water District – 2 Seats
Chris Perri (incumbent)
Danny Reber (appointed incumbent)
Soquel Creek Water District – 2 Seats
Tom LaHue (incumbent)
Jennifer Balboni (appointed incumbent)
Boulder Creek Recreation & Park District – 3 Seats
Gig Adams (appointed incumbent)
Melissa L Reed Temes (incumbent)
Anna Craven
La Selva Beach Recreation District – 3 Seats
Mark Buriss
Danielle Pavlecic
No candidate listed
La Selva Beach Recreation District (short term) – 1 Seat
James Rhodes (incumbent)
Pajaro Dunes Geologic Hazard Abatement District – 2 Seats
John Cullen (appointed incumbent)
No candidate listed
Pajaro Valley Health Care District – 3 Seats*
Tony Nunez (appointed incumbent)
Katherine Gabriel-Cox (appointed incumbent)
Alexandra Friel
Santa Cruz Port District – Division 1
Bill Lee
Santa Cruz Port District – Division 2
No candidate listed
Santa Cruz Port District – Division 3
Steve Reed
––
FOR THE RECORD: This article has been updated to add candidates in several races.
––
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.