Rohnert Park, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Rohnert Park City Council Election 2026

2 of 5

council seats up

2 contests

6 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

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

Voters in District 2 and District 5 each choose one councilmember for their own district; Districts 1, 3 and 4 are not on the ballot until 2028.

1 note on these statements

Emily Sanborn, the current mayor, holds the District 2 seat and did not seek reelection, so the seat is open. The Press Democrat · Aug 11, 2026

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.

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Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing; early voting sites open

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

What the next council decides

Measure K half-cent sales tax

Where it standsVoters will decide Measure K, a half-cent sales tax the council placed on the November 3, 2026 ballot to help address a long-term budget deficit.

What's on the tableHow the council balances the budget and spends any Measure K revenue if voters approve it, or what it cuts if they do not.

CenterCal downtown project

Where it standsThe council approved a draft concept design and non-binding term sheet with CenterCal Properties for the 6400 State Farm Drive site in November 2025.

What's on the tableWhether and how the next council advances the downtown development as terms and approvals come back.

Housing and the 2040 General Plan

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2040 General Plan in April 2026 and began changing zoning density rules on certain low-income housing sites in June 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city applies the General Plan and Housing Element requirements to new development.

Public safety staffing and equipment

Where it standsThe city's public safety officers work as both firefighters and police, and the council approved added police equipment in June 2026 on a 4-1 vote.

What's on the tableHow public safety is staffed and equipped within the city budget.

Highway 101 bike and pedestrian overcrossing

Where it standsThe city is pursuing a bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing of U.S. 101 at Copeland Creek; the environmental phase began in May 2026.

What's on the tableWhether the city keeps funding and advancing the project toward design and construction.

  • The city says the U.S. 101 freeway is a major barrier to east-west travel in Rohnert Park, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians. City of Rohnert Park
  • The city's schedule estimates environmental approval in December 2027. City of Rohnert Park

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. Should Rohnert Park adopt the half-cent sales tax in Measure K?

  2. 2. How should the city handle the planned CenterCal downtown project?

  3. 3. Should the city require higher minimum density on sites set aside for lower-income housing?

  4. 4. Should the council approve police requests for additional specialized equipment?

  5. 5. How high a priority should the Highway 101 bike and pedestrian overcrossing be?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Jackie Elward, Gerard Giudice, Samantha Rodriguez2 on this ballot

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

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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