Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026
St. Helena Mayor & City Council Election 2026
3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 7 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check
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How to vote · 11 days left
St. Helena Vote Center opens at Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus (Oct 31): the election office's noticeThese links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.
Mayor
1 seat- Patrick KenealyPatrick Kenealy is a founder and venture partner at Ridge Ventures and a former CEO of IDG. He served 10 months as an appointed member of the St. Helena City Council in 2024 and authored the 2020 final report of the city's Financing City Infrastructure Task Force.5sourced
- Bonnie SchochBonnie Schoch is a retired winery chief financial officer who served on the St. Helena City Council, 2003-2010. She served on the St. Helena School Board from 1996 to 2003 and was CFO at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, St. Supery Winery and Cuvaison Winery.5sourced
City Council
Vote for up to 2- Scott DiazIncumbentScott Diaz is a business executive with nearly two decades in Napa Valley's wine industry. He was appointed to the St. Helena City Council on May 26, 2026, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado Boulder.6sourced
- Daniel HaleDaniel Hale is a St. Helena designer who served four years on the city's Planning Commission. He has served as President of Our Town St. Helena and on the St. Helena Infrastructure Task Force.4sourced
- Joshua ParkeJoshua Parke served on St. Helena's SHAPE (St. Helena Assets Planning Engagement) Committee. He provided the city with a detailed analysis of its water situation.4sourced
- John PedersenJohn Pedersen is a qualified candidate for St. Helena City Council with the ballot designation Father.1sourced
- Kate SpadarottoIncumbentKate Spadarotto is a Napa-based Realtor with Sotheby's International Realty. She was appointed to the St. Helena City Council in January 2025 and served as President of the North Bay Association of Realtors in 2024.5sourced
Voters citywide elect a mayor to a two-year term and choose up to two of five candidates for two four-year City Council seats.
Also on your ballot: a measure
Taken from the official analysis and ballot arguments. We take no position.
Also on your Nov 3 ballot
We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.
- Governor
- Xavier Becerra · Democratic
- Steve Hilton · Republican
- Also statewideLieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Controller · Treasurer · Attorney General · Insurance Commissioner · Superintendent of Public Instruction · Board of Equalization Member
- Statewide measures14 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.
Already on the council, not on the ballot
Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.
- Aaron BarakCouncil Member; term expires November 20285sourced
- Michelle DeasyVice Mayor; council term expires November 20286sourced
Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.
What the next council decides
01City finances and Measure S4 sourced facts
Where it standsThe council placed Measure S, a half-cent general sales tax, on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, while the city's Finance Committee says existing revenues and reserves are sufficient through FY 2030.
What's on the tableHow to balance the budget, whether to rely on new tax revenue, and whether to approve new hotels as a revenue source.
- On July 7, 2026, the council voted 4-0, with Council Member Kate Spadarotto absent, to place Measure S on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. St. Helena City Council minutes, July 7, 2026 (special meeting) · Jul 7, 2026
- Measure S would add a one-half percent sales tax estimated to provide an additional $2,000,000 a year, remaining in effect until repealed by voters. City of St. Helena
- City staff said St. Helena has increasingly relied on reserves, deferred maintenance, hiring freezes and delayed capital investments to balance its budgets. City of St. Helena press release · Jul 14, 2026
- The Finance Committee's forecast says existing revenues and reserves can fund City services through FY 2030 without new revenue sources or new taxes. St. Helena Finance Committee · Oct 12, 2026
02Discolored water2 sourced facts
Where it standsSt. Helena is grappling with discolored or brown water coming out of city pipes.
What's on the tableHow quickly to fix the water distribution system and how to pay for it within the capital budget.
- City officials attribute the discolored water to built-up iron and manganese minerals in the city's water distribution system. Press Democrat · Sep 26, 2026
- At a September 2026 candidate forum, none of the candidates said they or their children would drink St. Helena's tap water unfiltered. St. Helena Star · Sep 30, 2026
03Housing2 sourced facts
Where it standsIn 2026 the council approved a 41-townhome subdivision on Spring Street and committed $2.2 million to the Fountain Street affordable housing development.
What's on the tableWhich housing projects to approve and how much city money to put into affordable and workforce housing.
- On Feb. 10, 2026, the council voted 3-1 to approve the Spring Grove vesting tentative map, subdividing 2.53 acres on Spring Street for 41 condominium townhomes. St. Helena City Council minutes, February 10, 2026 · Feb 10, 2026
- On March 24, 2026, the council voted 4-0 to commit $2.2 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Measure E Fund to the Fountain Street Affordable Housing Development. St. Helena City Council minutes, March 24, 2026 · Mar 24, 2026
04City manager and City Hall operations3 sourced facts
Where it standsSt. Helena has an interim city manager and is recruiting a permanent one, following an efficiency study of city operations.
What's on the tableWhom to hire as city manager and how to respond to outside reviews of city operations.
- On July 28, 2026, the council voted 5-0 to approve a $36,500 contract with Bob Murray & Associates for recruitment services for the City Manager vacancy. St. Helena City Council minutes, July 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026
- Earlier in 2026, the city completed an Efficiency and Business Transformation Study conducted by Blackberg Group to evaluate municipal operations. City of St. Helena press release · Jul 14, 2026
- On Aug. 11, 2026, the council voted 3-1 to partially disagree with each finding of the 2025-2026 Napa County Civil Grand Jury report in its response. St. Helena City Council minutes, August 11, 2026 · Aug 11, 2026
3 notes on these statements
Incumbent Mayor Paul Dohring is not seeking reelection. St. Helena Star · Aug 19, 2026
Council candidates Kate Spadarotto and John Pedersen were absent from the Sept. 24, 2026 League of Women Voters of Napa County candidate forum. Press Democrat · Sep 26, 2026
Scott Diaz was appointed on May 26, 2026 to fill the City Council vacancy created by Council Member Billy Summers. St. Helena City Council minutes, May 26, 2026 · May 26, 2026
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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. Should St. Helena adopt Measure S, the half-cent sales tax?
2. Should the city approve new hotels to raise tax revenue?
3. How should the city respond to discolored tap water?
4. Should the council approve market-rate townhome projects like the 41-unit Spring Grove subdivision?
5. Should the city put its own housing funds into affordable housing projects?
Key dates
- Downtown Napa Vote Center opens and drop boxes availableCity of St. HelenaOct 5, 2026
- Last day to register to vote and receive a ballot by mailCity of St. HelenaOct 19, 2026
- St. Helena Vote Center opens at Napa Valley College Upper Valley CampusCity of St. HelenaOct 31, 2026
- Election Day; vote centers open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.City of St. Helena · Aug 3, 2026Nov 3, 2026
The seat math
2 stay (not up this year): Aaron Barak, Michelle Deasy3 on this ballot
5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.
- The St. Helena City Council has five members elected at-large; Council Members serve four-year alternating terms and the Mayor serves a two-year term. City of St. Helena
- St. Helena is a general law city with a council-manager form of government. City of St. Helena
- The Nov. 3, 2026 election is for Mayor, for a full two-year term, and two Members of the City Council, for full four-year terms. City of St. Helena · Aug 3, 2026
- Two candidates qualified for Mayor and five for the two City Council seats. Napa County Registrar of Voters · Aug 13, 2026
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