Half Moon BayNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Half Moon Bay City Council Election 2026

3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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22days to Nov 3

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Three of the five council seats (Districts 1, 4 and 5) are on the ballot, each with two candidates. Districts 2 and 3 are next elected in 2028.

Regular voter registration deadline · Oct 19

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Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01555 Kelly senior farmworker housing (Measure Q)2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved a 99-year, $1-per-year ground lease for the project in May 2026 on a 3-2 vote, and a referendum placed it on the November ballot as Measure Q.

What's on the tableVoters decide Measure Q; the council that takes office then carries out or deals with the result.

  • The council passed the ordinance approving the 99-year lease of city-owned land to Mercy Housing for the 40-unit senior farmworker project on a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Debbie Ruddock and Councilmember Paul Nagengast opposed. Coastside News
  • On July 21, 2026, the City Council voted to submit Ordinance No. 2026-01 to the voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot. City of Half Moon Bay
02Rent control and rental registry1 sourced fact

Where it standsThe council repealed the rent stabilization and rental registration programs in 2026 on a 3-2 vote.

What's on the tableWhether to leave tenant protections to state law or bring back a local program.

03State housing requirements and local control2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe state sued Half Moon Bay in 2026 over its housing planning requirements.

What's on the tableHow quickly to complete required rezonings and how to deal with state housing enforcement.

  • California's attorney general sued Half Moon Bay and four other cities, alleging they failed to comply with state housing planning requirements. Coastside News
  • The state said the city would not reach substantial compliance until it completed the rezonings identified in its Housing Element. Coastside News
04Measure D growth limit and the Measure I map2 sourced facts

Where it standsVoters will decide Measure I, which would swap the Measure D downtown map for the Town Center map.

What's on the tableHow the city administers its voter-approved residential growth limit as it plans for more housing.

  • If approved, Measure I would revise the Measure D "Downtown Area" map to the "Town Center" map adopted in the 2020 Local Coastal Land Use Plan. City of Half Moon Bay
  • Measure D is a residential growth management system adopted by voters in 1999. City of Half Moon Bay
05City budget2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city balanced its 2026-27 budget with one-time funds and projects a continuing structural deficit.

What's on the tableHow to close the gap between spending and revenue in coming budgets.

  • The council passed a $25.7 million 2026-27 budget, closing a $1.5 million deficit with unspent funds carried over from 2025-26. Coastside News
  • City projections show expenditures outpacing revenues by roughly $2 million in future years if no action is taken. Coastside News
2 notes on these statements

Vice Mayor Deborah Penrose is not seeking reelection in District 5. Coastside News

Measure Q and Measure I are also on the Half Moon Bay ballot. City of Half Moon Bay

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should happen to the 555 Kelly senior farmworker housing lease on the ballot as Measure Q?

  2. 2. What should Half Moon Bay do about local rent control?

  3. 3. How should Half Moon Bay respond to state housing requirements?

  4. 4. What should happen to the Measure D growth limit?

  5. 5. How should you vote on Measure I, the Town Center map change?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.New · How Half Moon Bay is runWho runs Half Moon Bay, and what it costsThe city manager earns $295,200. See council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Patric Bo Jonsson, Paul Nagengast3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

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