Quick Take
As the June 2 primary inches closer, voters might notice that some candidates on Santa Cruz County ballots have their affiliation listed as “no party preference.” For some, it’s because of their past professional experience, while for others, it’s to steer as clear as possible of party politics.
In a political system dominated by two parties, seeing “no party preference” next to a candidate might be unfamiliar or even foreign to some voters. Regardless, some candidates have chosen to pursue elected office without an allegiance to a party, whether it be Democratic, Republican, Green, or other.
Chris Demers, Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera, Thomas Coxe and Tony Nuñez are all running under a “no party preference” designation. Demers is vying to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren for the 18th congressional district seat; Acevedo-Cabrera and Coxe are seeking to beat incumbent U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta for the 19th congressional district seat, and Nuñez hopes to oust incumbent Felipe Hernandez from the District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisorial seat.
Coxe did not return Lookout’s request for comment, but Acevedo-Cabrera, Demers and Nuñez say they’ve had largely similar experiences on the campaign trail. Both Acevedo-Cabrera and Nuñez say they’ve been registered as independent voters for the entirety of their voting lives, but they came to that decision in different ways.
“It just comes from my time in journalism,” said Nuñez, former editor of The Pajaronian, adding that he started getting into journalism as early as his first year of high school. He said because reporters are taught to cover issues “down the middle,” it never felt right to him to pick a side: “You always want to make sure that when you’re sitting across the table from someone, you’re giving them the opportunity to explain how they feel about something and for what reason in a comfortable way.”
Acevedo-Cabrera views the two-party system as a hindrance to meaningful legislative action, and did not want to subscribe to it. A North Monterey County native, she said a major factor in her decision to run was what she believes was a lack of presence from Panetta following a battery storage plant fire in Moss Landing in January 2025.
“So much progress is halted because things get stuck in party politics,” she said, adding that this led to her feeling disheartened about the way the government was operating. “I thought, you know what, I’m going to take a stance and be an independent. I’m going to be objective about who’s running, and if they’re for the people and have the community’s needs front and center, then I can support them.”
Demers agreed with Acevedo-Cabrera, and said he believes that democracies should always be improving themselves. He was formerly a democracy, human rights, and governance officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He currently lives in Gilroy.
“We’ve been extremely limited in our improvement as a democracy by our two-party system and the recalcitrance of those two parties,” Demers said. “I think people are so used to those being the only option and the kinds of conversations that go on in this county that they don’t realize we should and could have it better.”
Nuñez said that there’s no shortage of no-party-preference voters on the campaign trail.
“I’ve been surprised at how many people, on the voter records and as I’ve been walking in our community, are no-party-preference voters,” he said. Even when he talks to people who are registered as a Democrat or a Republican, most tend to understand his viewpoint. It also probably helps that the District 4 supervisorial seat is a nonpartisan seat, and he believes most voters are treating it as such. “I always hoped that was a reality, and at least right now in the primary, that has been my experience.”
But even in a much more partisan environment, like a congressional race, Acevedo-Cabrera said that although reactions to her designation are mixed, plenty also understand her decision, or at least want to know more about it. Demers said he’s had a similar experience.
“People that are registered in both parties indicate that they would be very willing to vote for an alternative and independent candidate,” he said.
Not affiliating with a party comes with drawbacks, though. Both candidates said that they don’t get the increased exposure and extra boost through endorsements. Nuñez, for example, was not eligible for the Democratic Central Committee’s endorsement, which incumbent Hernandez ultimately won.
“I wish I could have gone before [the committee]. The things that I’m involved with and the work that I’ve done speaks for itself, and that the values of the Democratic Party are really the values that I live by in the work that I do every day,” he said, also adding that he would have liked to vote for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential primary election.
“There’s definitely an advantage about getting endorsed by the Democratic Party or the Republican Party,” said Acevedo-Cabrera. “There’s already a head start from that perspective.”
“The biggest thing is getting our message out there, which is really hard to do when you don’t have as much money in your coffers because you don’t get it from the party structures,” said Demers. He added that it’s also difficult to get political consultants to work with him because they most commonly work with the major parties, and have been averse to working outside of those platforms.
Acevedo-Cabrera also said there is confusion among voters about whether they can vote for her or not, regardless of their affiliation. Even though that requires her to explain and educate members of the public on her designation, and assure them that anyone can vote for her, she doesn’t mind.
“I think it’s just connecting deeper with the community,” she said. “I can’t compensate for an endorsement, but I think the people that are truly involved and care about what’s happening will do their homework and see what else is out there beyond just what the party said.”
Despite the additional hurdles and drawbacks, the candidates believe that their designation can help them focus on the issues directly, which can leave a strong impression on prospective voters.
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“In the local offices, when you’re talking to people about your background, values, vision, and what you’d like to get done, that really resonates with people,” said Nuñez. “I think that’s really how they’re able to judge a candidate.”
And a victory, especially in a traditionally partisan office, would be huge, said Acevedo-Cabrera.
“It would mean the people were willing to look past the party and focus on just the community issues. It would speak to the fact that people are tired, ready for change, and want to have someone that’s going to advocate for them,” she said. “I feel like we’re at a prime time to make this a movement.”
Demers is inclined to agree.
“I do think there’s something going on right now. I sense people’s willingness to go independent and look outside of the major parties just because of the extent of the partisanship,” he said, adding that Congress’ approval rating has fallen to just 10%, according to a recent Gallup poll. “There’s a real reason to think that people are looking beyond the two major parties.”
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