Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ami Chen Mills ended her bid with a concession Friday afternoon, following the latest batch of vote counts from the county clerk.
Election 2026: Santa Cruz mayor
Lookout news and Community Voices opinion coverage of the 2026 race to succeed Fred Keeley as mayor of Santa Cruz.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayor: Coonerty continues to lead Chen Mills through Friday update
After another vote-count update Friday, longtime local politician Ryan Coonerty continued to lead Ami Chen Mills by just under 6% in the race for Santa Cruz mayor.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2026 general election in charts: The latest results after Friday’s update
Find the results for all local races in Santa Cruz County’s 2026 general election here. Lookout will update this page as new results come in.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Ryan Coonerty declares victory in Santa Cruz mayor’s race as vote count nears end
Ryan Coonerty declared victory Wednesday in the Santa Cruz mayor’s race, with more than 97% of the votes counted and a 1,518-vote lead over Ami Chen Mills.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayoral candidates Chen Mills, Coonerty face campaign ad controversies just before Election Day
Campaign advertisements for both Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty received criticism on social media over the weekend. A volunteer-made Chen Mills poster was accused for being antisemetic, while a Coonerty poster on a fire truck in the closed area of Pacific Avenue on Halloween was criticized for using a city-owned vehicle for a political campaign, and for potentially blocking emergency services should they have needed to access the area.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Ryan Coonerty has spent 25 years showing up for Santa Cruz – let’s make him mayor
Ryan Coonerty has spent 25 years dedicated to public service and work on wildfire recovery, affordable housing, early childhood programs and coastal preservation, write Carol Fuller, Richelle Noroyan and Leslie Steiner. His experience, dedication to the community and record of delivering results, they argue, make him uniquely prepared to lead the city through its challenges. The authors criticize his opponent, Ami Chen Mills, for opposing a major affordable housing and library project and question her approach to homelessness. They also dismiss her campaign rhetoric and cynical attacks on Coonerty as devoid of substance. They believe Santa Cruz needs experienced, pragmatic leadership, not division and obstruction.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The next Santa Cruz mayor? Vote for a transparent, open and visionary candidate, Ami Chen Mills
Joy Schendledecker and Chris Krohn – who ran for the office in the primary – endorse Ami Chen Mills for Santa Cruz mayor, arguing that the city needs a new direction on development, affordability and transparency. They criticize her opponent Ryan Coonerty’s ties to developers and the growth-friendly political establishment. The former mayoral candidates say Chen Mills would prioritize neighborhood input, design review, affordable housing and more open government. They frame the race as a choice between continuing current policies and putting residents’ interests first.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Election 2026: Who’s funding Coonerty, Chen Mills and other city candidates as Election Day nears?
Ryan Coonerty raised $24,759 in the latest campaign finance period, compared to $16,258 for opponent Ami Chen Mills as the Santa Cruz mayoral race heads toward Election Day. Here’s a look at fundraising totals and notable donors in local city council races.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Meet the Santa Cruz mayoral candidates: Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty
Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty are running to succeed Fred Keeley as Santa Cruz mayor. Hear from each in their own words with short videos.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Ryan Coonerty for Santa Cruz mayor
Santa Cruz is at a pivotal moment of change, and its next mayor will need experience, political savvy and a clear vision for the city’s future. The Lookout Editorial Board endorses Ryan Coonerty over Ami Chen Mills, recognizing her advocacy and the concerns she raises about homelessness, affordability and city design. But Coonerty’s government experience, regional relationships and policy initiatives make him better equipped to tackle the city’s most pressing challenges. His proposals for public art, downtown revitalization and greater transparency offer a promising path forward.
