Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Santa Barbara Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

15 candidates

Updated Oct 4, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

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

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Mayor · 1 seat

Eric FriedmanSanta Barbara City Councilmember for District 5 since 2017 and chair of the city Finance Committee. Also works at a local grocery store and was a district representative for county supervisors from 2002 to 2016.7sourced
Matt KilrainAuthor known locally as "Boat Rat Matt." Ran for mayor of Santa Barbara in 2021.2sourced
Wendy Sims-MotenExecutive director of First 5 Santa Barbara County and former Santa Barbara Unified school board member. Served on the school board from 2016 until December 2024.5sourced
Kristen W. SneddonSanta Barbara City Councilmember for District 4, elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. Teaches environmental geology at Santa Barbara City College.7sourced

City Council District 4 · 1 seat

City Council District 5 · 1 seat

City Council District 6 · 1 seat

Voters citywide elect the mayor, and each of Districts 4, 5 and 6 elects its own council member; Districts 1, 2 and 3 have no council race this year.

4 notes on these statements

Mayor Randy Rowse and District 6 Councilmember Meagan Harmon are not running again, so the mayor and District 6 seats are open. Noozhawk

Eric Friedman (District 5) and Kristen W. Sneddon (District 4) are both on the ballot for mayor, so the seats they hold are open. Noozhawk

Mark G. Redmond, Michael Stilwell and Justin Joseph Kam filed for mayor but did not qualify for the ballot, according to the County Elections Office. Noozhawk

Matt Kilrain did not respond to Noozhawk's interview request for its mayoral story. Noozhawk

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Oscar GutierrezCouncilmember, District 3; term ends December 20282sourced Mike JordanCouncilmember, District 2; term ends December 20283sourced Wendy SantamariaCouncilmember, District 1; term ends December 20283sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesRent stabilization, State Street, City budget and reserves Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed and ballot drop-off locations open

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Rent stabilization

Where it standsThe council adopted a rent stabilization and rental registry ordinance 4-3 on Sept. 29, 2026, with a January 2027 launch date.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee how the program starts, including who is exempt and how it is funded and administered, and can revisit its terms.

The ordinance passed 4-3. Councilmembers Sneddon, Santamaria, Harmon and Oscar Gutierrez voted yes; Mayor Rowse and Councilmembers Jordan and Friedman voted no. Santa Barbara Independent · Sep 30, 2026
The council voted 4-3 to adopt the ordinance and directed staff to find pathways for Housing Authority and Section 8 tenants to bring forth habitability concerns. Noozhawk
The adoption keeps the ordinance on schedule for a January 2027 launch date. Santa Barbara Independent · Sep 30, 2026

State Street

Where it standsThe council approved the State Street Master Plan 6-1 on Sept. 1, 2026, and voted 5-2 on June 30 to keep the promenade in place until the plan is carried out.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide how to phase and pay for construction, and what vehicle access, if any, returns to the street.

The master plan was approved in a 6-1 vote with Mayor Rowse opposed; nearly 800 public comments came in from April through June and another 250 before the vote. Santa Barbara Independent · Sep 2, 2026
The plan redesigns the 400 to 1300 blocks with 30-foot sidewalks, two 10-foot travel lanes and retractable bollards at intersections. Noozhawk
The plan does not dictate what vehicle access will look like but gives the council flexibility to decide in the future. Noozhawk
On June 30 the council voted 5-2 to reauthorize Title 31 to maintain the promenade; Mayor Rowse and Councilmember Friedman voted no. KEYT · Jun 30, 2026

City budget and reserves

Where it standsThe council unanimously adopted the 2026-27 budget on June 30, 2026, while reserves remain $29.7 million short of the target.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide how to rebuild reserves, whether to pursue new revenue such as a vacancy tax, and how to fund the Local Housing Trust Fund.

The budget expects $256.8 million in spending and $257.2 million in revenue, and the city is $29.7 million short of what is supposed to be in reserves, per staff. Noozhawk
The council voted 4-3 to take $1 million from the Measure C fund for the Local Housing Trust Fund, a decision formally adopted with the budget on June 30. Noozhawk
The council voted 5-2 to direct staff to look into a vacancy tax, which would need voter approval and would likely not reach a ballot before 2028; Friedman and Mayor Rowse opposed. Santa Barbara Independent · Jun 23, 2026

How the city elects its leaders

Where it standsThe mayor is the only one of seven council members elected at large; the other six are elected by district.

What's on the tableThe council can decide whether to put a change in the election system, such as ranked-choice voting, before voters.

Under the city's "weak mayor" charter, the City Administrator, not elected officials, directs day-to-day management of the city. SB Newsmakers · Aug 17, 2026
Four of the seven council seats, including the mayor, are on the Nov. 3 ballot. Noozhawk

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. The council adopted a rent stabilization and rental registry ordinance 4-3 in September 2026, to start in January 2027. What should the next council do?
2. The council approved a master plan for State Street, which has been closed to cars. Which comes closest to your view?
3. The council voted 5-2 in June 2026 to have staff look into a vacancy tax, which would need voter approval. What should the city do?
4. Reserves are $29.7 million below the target. How should the city rebuild them?
5. Should Santa Barbara change how it elects its mayor and council members?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed and ballot drop-off locations openCity of Santa BarbaraOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to voteCity of Santa BarbaraOct 19, 2026
Election day (polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)City of Santa Barbara · Jun 30, 2026Nov 3, 2026

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Oscar Gutierrez, Mike Jordan, Wendy Santamaria4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

The Santa Barbara City Council has seven members: the mayor, who is elected at large, and six members elected by district. SB Newsmakers · Aug 17, 2026
The mayor and the District 4, 5 and 6 council members are each elected on Nov. 3, 2026 to full four-year terms. City of Santa Barbara · Jun 30, 2026
Under the city's "weak mayor" charter, the City Administrator, not elected officials, directs day-to-day management of city employees. SB Newsmakers · Aug 17, 2026
The mayor votes on council items; for example, Mayor Rowse voted no on the vision and guiding principles of the draft State Street Master Plan on April 28, 2026. Santa Barbara City Council minutes, April 28, 2026 (in the June 2, 2026 agenda packet) · Apr 28, 2026

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