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

Election season is upon us and Lookout is here to help you keep tabs on 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.

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When is the election?

The primary election is March 5. The general election will be 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

U.S. Representative in Congress, 18th District

Zoe Lofgren, Democratic Party, incumbent and chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.

Peter Hernandez, Republican Party, former San Benito County supervisor.

U.S. Representative in Congress, 19th District

Jimmy Panetta, Democratic Party, incumbent.

Sean Dougherty, Green Party.

STATE

State Senate, 17th District

John Laird, Democratic Party, incumbent, chair of Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 (education).

Michael Oxford, self-described tradesman and coach who does not list a party affiliation on his campaign site but states his approach on his campaign website as “they stole my career from me, for refusing to wear a mask, and now I’m coming for John Laird’s career.”

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.

State Assembly, 30th District

Dawn Addis, Democratic Party, incumbent, chair of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus.

COUNTY

County Supervisor, 1st District

Manu Koenig is the District 1 incumbent, first elected to the board of supervisors in 2020. He has worked for several tech startups, including Paystand in Scotts Valley. He co-founded civic engagement startup Civinomics and served as its CEO. He is also the former CEO of Greenway, a nonprofit advocating for a bike/pedestrian-only trail on the rail corridor that runs the length of the county.

Lani Faulkner is a founder of Equity Transit, a member of the local chapter of the NAACP and a former UC Davis science educator. She serves on the executive committee of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Community Traffic Safety Coalition.

County Supervisor, 2nd District

Incumbent Zach Friend is not running for reelection after three terms.

Kristen Brown is in her second stint as Capitola mayor and is 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.

Anthony Crane is an Aptos mortgage broker and licensed general contractor. In a Good Times report from September, Crane said he is running on a platform of changes to county policies on housing, homelessness and mental health services.

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.

Bruce Jaffe is a research geologist and oceanographer who is the current president of the Soquel Creek Water District board of directors, on which he has served for more than 20 years.

David Schwartz owns a tax, accounting and business services firm and is a U.S. Air Force veteran. He served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters for nine years.

County Supervisor, 5th District

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

Theresa Ann Bond is a trustee of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School Board of Education and the chair of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association Legislative Action Committee.

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.

Tom Decker is a home builder in Ben Lomond running on a platform aiming to reform the local permitting system so families who lost their homes in the CZU fire can rebuild faster.

Monica Martinez is the CEO of Encompass Community Services, a position she 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.

CITY OF SANTA CRUZ

Councilmembers Sandy Brown and Martine Watkins were both elected at-large before the city changed to a system of districts. They are both termed out at the end of 2024.

Santa Cruz City Council District 1

David Tannaci is a native Santa Cruzan and biologist who works as an engineering technician for the City of Santa Cruz Water Department. He has worked in food service, education, child development, health care and construction.

Gabriela Trigueiro is a nonprofit director who is currently the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County. She is also a commissioner of the City of Santa Cruz’s Commission for the Prevention of Violence against Women.

Santa Cruz City Council District 2

Sonja Brunner is an incumbent councilmember, elected at-large in 2020 before the city moved to a system of districts. She is director of operations for the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz and is on the board of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz. 

Editor’s note: Sonja Brunner declined to submit a candidate opinion piece to Lookout.

Hector Marin is a community organizer, special needs teacher’s aid, a member of the county’s circle on anti-racism and economic and social justice, and 2021 UC Santa Cruz graduate. In 2022, he ran in District 4 against Scott Newsome.

Santa Cruz City Council District 3

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson is an incumbent councilmember, elected at-large in 2020 before the city moved to a system of districts. She is also a professional grant writer and small business owner. In 2022, she ran for District 3 county supervisor against Justin Cummings. 

Joy Schendledecker is a multimedia artist, certified community mediator and a 2022 mayoral candidate for the City of Santa Cruz. Before moving to Santa Cruz, she served on the board of governors for a school in London.

Santa Cruz City Council District 5

Susie O’Hara is a 17-year Santa Cruz resident, professional civil engineer and long-time community volunteer. She has served as a city water commissioner, public school and environmental nonprofit board member, and served on the Santa Cruz County Substance Use Disorder Services Commission. She is a former city employee, working in both the Water Department and city manager’s office. She resides at UC Santa Cruz, where her husband, Matt, is a history professor and provost at Stevenson College.

Joe Thompson is a community organizer who led two Santa Cruz Starbucks locations to become the first in California to unionize. Thompson ran for the California Assembly District 28 seat in 2022, eventually joining Gail Pellerin’s campaign as field director. Thompson previously worked in the district office of state Sen. Aisha Wahab and currently serves on the Santa Cruz County Substance Use Disorder Services Commission.

For more information on statewide races and candidates, visit the Voter’s Edge website. The page is also available in Spanish here.

LOCAL MEASURES

Measure M – City of Santa Cruz Housing for People Initiative

Should each exceptionally tall building proposed in Santa Cruz first be approved by voters? Should multifamily projects with 30 or more housing units reserve at least 25% of those units for low-income tenants?

These are the issues at stake in the city of Santa Cruz’s Measure M, which earned a spot on the ballot after more than 5,000 city voters signed a petition saying they wanted to decide these questions during the March 5 primary election. If approved, any building that proposes to stand taller than the city’s existing height limits must first receive direct approval from voters, rather than just the city council, on a project-by-project basis before moving forward. Similarly, the city’s affordable housing requirement on projects with at least 30 units would rise from 20% to 25% of units.

Proponents of Measure M want to wrap building height into the same arena of direct democracy as political elections and tax increases. Opponents believe the measure will stifle new home production at a time when the housing crisis has led the state to require cities to build more new residential units than they ever have.

Measure N – Pajaro Valley Health Care District bond

Now heading into its second year of public ownership, Watsonville Community Hospital continues to work toward financial stability after its previous owners filed for bankruptcy in December 2021. Hospital leaders hope this 2024 bond measure for $116 million will bring it closer to a sustainable model.

Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Stephen Gray has said that the health care district needs the bond money to purchase the hospital buildings and land they sit on, upgrade equipment and renovate various parts of the hospital. The hospital also aims to increase the size of its emergency room to improve wait times and access to care.

Measure K (Santa Cruz County) and Measure L (City of Santa Cruz) sales tax measures

In an effort to boost government revenues, Santa Cruz County and the City of Santa Cruz are each seeking voter approval for a half-cent increase to their respective sales tax rates.

In Measure K, Santa Cruz County estimates a sales tax increase from 9 to 9.5% would bring an additional $10 million per year into its coffers. The sales tax would apply only to purchases made within the county’s unincorporated areas (anywhere outside Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley or Capitola). The increase would take effect July 1. If approved, the board of supervisors has earmarked for the first year of the tax $1 million each for climate resiliency and county parks, road repair and infrastructure projects, housing and essential workforce retention, and homelessness services.

For Measure L, the City of Santa Cruz wants to increase its sales tax rate from 9.25% to 9.75%, and estimates it could raise an additional $8.3 million for the city’s general budget. Measure L does not restrict how the money will be spent but city officials, including Mayor Fred Keeley, have cited the additional revenue as crucial to the city’s efforts to address homelessness. The ballot measure’s language also places a hyperfocus on homelessness but adds that the money could help maintain city infrastructure, wildfire preparation and improve beaches, parks and public safety.

Measure G, H, I & J – funding for local school districts

Some local school facilities are outdated and require upgrades to restrooms, roofs and classrooms — some classes are held in temporary portable rooms. Four measures for local school districts look to invest in improving those facilities.

All four measures seek to introduce funds into local school districts to improve, modernize, and repair education facilities for students and educators. 

Measure G is a proposal to extend an existing parcel tax previously approved by voters in Happy Valley Elementary School District. In 2018, district voters approved a $99 per-parcel tax for six years, ending by this June. Measure G seeks to extend the parcel tax through June 30, 2032. The district estimates the tax would raise $61,000 annually. The money would be used only to support art and music programs, purchase new classroom equipment and technology and attract teachers and staff.

Measure H is a bond measure for Live Oak Elementary School District. The board asks voters to approve the sale of $44 million in general obligation bonds, which the board said would generate $2.8 million annually for the district. The district estimates the highest tax rate would be $30 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year and would likely run from 2024 through 2057.

Measure I and Measure J are both bond measures for Davenport’s Pacific Elementary School District for $1.3 million and $675,000, respectively. They would both fund repairs and upgrades to various facilities. 

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 is Jan. 25 and covers the period between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20. Another filing date follows shortly after, on Jan. 31, and covers the period beginning when the candidate or committee first began raising or spending funds through the end of 2023. The third filing date is on Feb. 22, and covers the period between Jan. 21 and Feb. 17.

You may 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.

How do state and federal primaries work?

All candidates for voter-nominated (partisan) offices are listed on one ballot. Only the top two vote-getters in the March primary — regardless of party affiliation — move on to the general election in November. That means two candidates of the same party can move on to the general election, so long as they are the top two vote-getters. 

Write-in candidates for voter-nominated offices can run in only the primary election. A write-in candidate will move on to the general election only if the candidate is one of the top two vote-getters in the primary election.

Any candidate for a nonpartisan office who receives a majority of the votes in a primary election will be declared elected. The office will not appear on the general election ballot unless the elected candidate dies, resigns or is otherwise disqualified.

Candidates running for a voter-nominated office cannot run in the general election without having been one of the top two vote-getters in the primary election. If there is only one candidate in a race, they will be declared nominated.

In California, there are no runoff elections. The candidate with the majority of the vote is declared elected.

How do by-district councilmembers and supervisor elections work?

Both by-district councilmembers and county supervisors are elected using a two-round election system, or runoff voting. In the primary, any candidate who receives a majority of the vote cast (50% + 1) will be declared elected. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff election in November.

When/how do I register?

You can register up to election day.

On or before Feb. 19, you can register, or re-register, using the online, phone or in-person methods as listed below. Feb. 19 is the last day to register in order to vote by mail. 

After Feb. 19, 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 located 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, March 5, and received no later than March 12 to be counted. Vote-by-mail ballots will be sent to every registered voter and start going out as early as Feb. 5.

You can track when your ballot has been mailed, received and counted at California’s Where’s My Ballot? website.

Polling places

Voting hours

Once a location opens for voting, it will remain open through election day, March 5, for the following hours each day:

• Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to  5 p.m.
• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (beginning Feb. 24)
• Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (beginning Feb. 25)
• Election day, Tuesday, March 5, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting locations in Santa Cruz County include:

Open Feb. 5 for voting:

• Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections, 701 Ocean St., Room 310.
• Watsonville: Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, 275 Main St., fourth floor.

Open Feb. 24 for voting:

• Aptos: Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Rd.
• Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, 5200 Soquel Ave.
• Scotts ValleyL Scotts Valley Community Center, 360 Kings Village Rd.

Open March 2 for voting:

• Aptos: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 125 Canterbury Dr. (Sunday, Feb. 25, hours are 1-9 p.m.).
• Boulder Creek: Boulder Creek Fire Station, 13230 Highway 9.
• Capitola: New Brighton Middle School, 250 Washburn Ave.
• Felton: Zayante Fire Department, 7700 E Zayante Rd.
• Santa Cruz: Bonny Doon Elementary School, 1492 Pine Flat Rd.
• Santa Cruz: Depot Park, 119 Center St.
• Santa Cruz: Masonic Center, 828 N. Branciforte Ave.
• Santa Cruz: UCSC Stevenson Event Center, 520 Cowell-Stevenson Rd.
• Scotts Valley: Scotts Valley High School, 555 Glenwood Dr.
• Soquel: Soquel High School, 401 Old San Jose Rd.
• Watsonville: La Selva Beach Clubhouse, 314 Estrella Ave.
• Watsonville: Pajaro Valley Community Trust, 85 Nielson St.
• Watsonville: Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Ave.

Open election day only for voting:

• Corralitos: Corralitos Community Church, 24 Browns Valley Rd.
• Davenport: Pacific Elementary School, 50 Ocean St.
• Los Gatos: CT English Middle School, 23800 Summit Rd.
• Santa Cruz: Christian Life Center, 1009 Mission St.

Vote Mobile: Santa Cruz County has a mobile voting trailer that will be used throughout the county. Check www.votescount.us for dates and times.

Drop boxes (will open Feb. 5 and will close at 8 p.m. on March 5)

• Aptos: Resurrection Catholic Church, 7600 Soquel Dr.
• Aptos – Polo Grounds near the dog park, 2255 Huntington Dr.
• Aptos: Cabrillo College Parking Lot R by the stadium, 3732 Cabrillo College Dr.
• Ben Lomond: Highlands Park, 8500 Highway 9.
• Boulder Creek: Boulder Creek Community Church, 12465 Highway 9.
• Capitola: 420 Capitola Ave. in the city hall parking lot.
• Capitola: mall near the old Sears, 1855 41st Ave.
• Capitola: public library, 2005 Wharf Rd.
• Corralitos: Community center, 35 Browns Valley Rd.
• Davenport: fire station, 75 Marine View Ave.
• Felton: Covered Bridge Park at Mount Hermon Rd. and Graham Hill Rd.
• Los Gatos: Summit Store, 24197 Summit Rd.
• Santa Cruz: 701 Ocean St. in front of the county government center.
• Santa Cruz : 212 Church St. in the public parking lot.
• Santa Cruz: UCSC Quarry Plaza.
• Santa Cruz: Trescony Park, end of Trescony Street.
• Scotts Valley – 1 Civic Center Dr. in the city hall parking lot.
• Watsonville: 316 Rodriguez St. in municipal public parking Lot 14.
• Watsonville: County Health Center, 1430 Freedom Blvd.

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. You can also download an audio version of the Official Voter Information Guide (available after Jan. 19).

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.

– Christopher Neely and Tae Yun Kang contributed to this guide.