Ami Chen Mills, running for mayor of Santa Cruz, pushes back against the assertion by her opponent, Ryan Coonerty, that she has taken a stance “too late” on the project proposed at Seabright and Soquel avenues. She presents the politics behind the Seabright project, criticizes Coonerty’s record on development and local control and explains her own evolving approach to the housing crisis. She argues for truly affordable housing, tenant protections, neighborhood-scale development and stronger local oversight.
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 inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz mayoral candidates need a ‘Mamdani moment’ on housing policies
Santa Cruz calls itself the “leftmost city,” but the mayoral race is exposing a sharp contradiction: progressive politics and resistance to new housing. Economist Richard McGahey argues that candidates Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills need a “Mamdani moment” on housing – and points to their opposition to a proposed Seabright project as a troubling example. With Santa Cruz-Watsonville again ranked the nation’s least affordable rental market, McGahey says the city needs more housing supply, not more barriers to it. The part-time Santa Cruz resident and author of “Unequal Cities” asks whether the city’s progressive values extend to actually building enough homes.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Time’s up: Constant development pressure on Santa Cruz’s neighborhoods must be addressed
Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty says he will fight against the six-story housing project proposed at Seabright and Soquel. Housing projects outside of downtown should be limited to granny units and modest buildings that are designed at scale with the neighborhood and include reasonable parking and setbacks, writes Coonerty.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayoral candidates oppose 6-story housing project at Seabright and Soquel; wish to regain some local control over building
Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty wasn’t shy with expressing his disapproval of a proposed housing development at the intersection of Seabright Avenue and Soquel Avenue. His mayoral opponent, Ami Chen Mills, said she also disapproves of this development despite wanting to continue to build affordable housing.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2026 primary election results in charts: Final tallies for all county races
With the Santa Cruz County Clerk certifying the results of the June primary election on Friday, see how all the local races shook out in chart form.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2026 primary election results in charts: Final tally set for June 26
Find the results for all local races in Santa Cruz County’s 2026 primary election here. Lookout will continuously update this page as new results come in.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Ryan Coonerty, Ami Chen Mills aiming to reach more voters ahead of November mayoral run-off
Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills have secured their places as the top two vote-getters in the Santa Cruz mayoral race and will compete in a run-off election in November. The candidates plan to reach more voters to continue garnering support in the coming months — after some rest, of course.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Coonerty, Chen Mills head to November run-off for Santa Cruz mayor
Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills will meet in a November run-off for Santa Cruz mayor.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Criteria needed to be applied to candidates for Santa Cruz mayor
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident outlines reasons he feels Ryan Coonerty would be a bad choice as the city’s next mayor.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Ryan Coonerty helped bring the Warriors to Santa Cruz – he’s the best pick for mayor
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident lauds Ryan Coonerty for his role in bringing minor league basketball to the city and cites Coonerty’s leadership and experience in backing him in the race for mayor.
