Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Ann Arbor Mayor & City Council Election 2026

6 of 11

council seats up

6 contests

8 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

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

Mayor · Unopposed

Yousef RabhiWashtenaw County commissioner and former state representative who served as House Democratic Floor Leader. He also works as Legislative Director for the Michigan Nurses Association.7sourced

City Council Ward 1 · Unopposed

Cynthia HarrisonIncumbentDirector of innovative reentry at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. She works to integrate previously incarcerated individuals back into society.9sourced

City Council Ward 2 · Unopposed

Sandy AldrichLeads the consulting firm Aldrich & Associates Group after working in marketing for Intel and T-Mobile.5sourced

City Council Ward 3 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 4 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 5 · Unopposed

Jenn CornellIncumbentExecutive director of the Ann Arbor Art Center, finishing her first four-year term on City Council.9sourced

The mayor is elected citywide, and one council seat is on the ballot in each of the five wards; voters pick one candidate for mayor and one for their own ward.

7 notes on these statements

Elizabeth Sharon Kurtz is listed as a write-in candidate for mayor, with no party affiliation, on Washtenaw County's official candidate list. Washtenaw County Clerk · Sep 25, 2026

In the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, Cynthia Harrison defeated Rebecca Arends (Ward 1), Sandy Aldrich defeated Teesha Montague (Ward 2), Ryan Bartholomew defeated Ashley Hall (Ward 3), Aidan Sova defeated Dave Zeglen (Ward 4) and Jenn Cornell defeated Greg Monroe (Ward 5). MLive · Aug 4, 2026

Michigan Public reported that Yousef Rabhi is almost certain to win in the Democratic majority city in November's general election. Michigan Public · Aug 5, 2026

Kenny Leicht (listed by MLive as Kenneth Arthur Leicht Jr., Ward 3) and James Trost (Ward 4) filed as independent candidates; write-in candidates have until Oct. 23 to declare. MLive · Aug 4, 2026

The Ward 2 seat is open: Sandy Aldrich and Teesha Montague ran in the primary to replace Council Member Chris Watson. The Michigan Daily · Jul 30, 2026

The Ward 3 seat is open: Ryan Bartholomew and Kenny Leicht are running for the seat being vacated by Ayesha Ghazi Edwin. MLive

The Ward 4 seat is open: Aidan Sova and James Trost are running for the seat being vacated by Dharma Akmon. MLive

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Erica BriggsCouncil Member, Ward 5; term ends 20285sourced Lisa DischUniversity of Michigan political science faculty member who has represented Ward 1 since November 2020.8sourced Jen EyerWard 4 council member first elected in 2020 who works in communications and public affairs.8sourced Jon MallekCouncil Member, Ward 2; term ends 20287sourced Travis RadinaCouncil Member, Ward 3; term ends 20288sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz7 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesZoning for more housing, Paying for affordable housing, Public power (Proposal E)Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Election Day (polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Tue, Nov 3, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Zoning for more housing

Where it standsCouncil adopted a Comprehensive Land Use Plan in March 2026 that envisions duplexes and triplexes in neighborhoods now zoned for single-family homes.

What's on the tableThe next council will write and vote on the zoning changes that put the plan into effect, including building heights and setbacks.

City Council voted 11-0 on March 16, 2026, to adopt the land use plan, which guides development through 2050. MLive
Sweeping zoning reforms yet to come are expected to implement the plan. MLive
In April 2025, council voted 8-3 to ask the Planning Commission to set a 35-foot, three-story height cap for development in low-rise residential areas. MLive
In June 2026, council voted 9-1 to direct the City Administrator to develop a comprehensive anti-displacement plan. City of Ann Arbor · Jun 15, 2026

Paying for affordable housing

Where it standsThe city funds affordable housing through a voter-approved affordable housing millage and Housing Commission bonds.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide how much to rely on publicly owned housing versus private development to add affordable homes.

Council authorized up to $35 million in bonds for a roughly 330-unit Housing Commission high-rise on Fifth Avenue, with the debt paid from the affordable housing millage. MLive
Council approved the Housing Commission's proposal for $18 million in bonds to buy and rehab a 114-unit apartment complex as affordable housing. MLive
Yousef Rabhi has proposed using revenue bonds to accelerate publicly owned affordable housing; Mayor Christopher Taylor has said new construction cannot be paid for that way. MLive

Public power (Proposal E)

Where it standsProposal E on the Nov. 3 ballot would amend the city charter to require a city-owned electric utility and set up its governing board.

What's on the tableIf Proposal E passes, the next council will deal with setting up the utility board, and the city has discussed a legal challenge to the proposal.

The ballot question asks whether Chapter 15 of the charter should be amended to require the city to establish a municipal electric utility and governance structure. City of Ann Arbor City Clerk
Proposal E calls for a nine-member board, with five elected members and four council-appointed members, to oversee a city utility. MLive
A resolution on council's Oct. 5 agenda urges voters to reject Proposal E and would direct the city attorney to challenge its legality at the appropriate time. MLive
A 2023 city study found that acquiring DTE's existing business and distribution assets in the city could cost between $281 million and $1.15 billion. Michigan Advance · Sep 8, 2026
In March 2025, council rejected a $1.728 million municipalization study contract on a 5-5 vote. City of Ann Arbor · Mar 3, 2025

Tax incentives for developers

Where it standsIn February 2026, council approved a brownfield plan for the Arbor South development that reimburses the developer with future tax revenue.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on further brownfield plans and development agreements for private projects.

Council approved the Arbor South brownfield plan 8-2 on Feb. 2, 2026. City of Ann Arbor · Feb 2, 2026
The Arbor South financing plan will divert around $350 million in tax revenue to the developer to reimburse construction costs. The Michigan Daily · Jul 30, 2026
Arbor South will include retail, office space and more than 1,000 housing units, including 200 designated as affordable. The Michigan Daily · Jul 30, 2026

Selling city land

Where it standsIn September 2026, council approved a purchase and sale agreement for the city-owned Kline's Lot downtown.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to sell or keep other city-owned properties.

The Kline's Lot sale agreement required eight votes and was approved unanimously, with ten members present, on Sept. 8, 2026. City of Ann Arbor · Sep 8, 2026
Yousef Rabhi has pledged never to sell public land as mayor. Ann Arbor Observer · Jun 5, 2026

Short-term rentals

Where it standsIn July 2026, council directed the city attorney to prepare a six-month moratorium on new short-term rental licenses while staff review the rules.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on the moratorium ordinance and any new short-term rental rules.

The resolution passed 8-1 and was amended to allow renewal licenses for existing, compliant short-term rentals. City of Ann Arbor · Jul 20, 2026

Data centers

Where it standsNo data centers are being developed in Ann Arbor, but large projects are planned in Saline and Ypsilanti Township.

What's on the tableThe next council may consider a moratorium on data centers, which Yousef Rabhi pledged to propose.

Oracle and OpenAI are jointly building a data center in Saline, and the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory plan one in Ypsilanti Township. The Michigan Daily · Jun 30, 2026
Mayor Christopher Taylor said communities have the right to reject data centers but did not pledge to support a moratorium. The Michigan Daily · Jun 30, 2026

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 zoning allow duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings in neighborhoods now limited to single-family homes?
2. Where should the city put its effort to add affordable housing?
3. Should Ann Arbor create a city-owned electric utility (Proposal E)?
4. Should the city use future tax revenue, through brownfield plans, to help pay for large private developments like Arbor South?
5. Should the city sell city-owned land, like the Kline's Lot, to private developers?
6. Should the city pause new short-term rental licenses while it reviews the rules?
7. How should Ann Arbor handle proposals for large data centers?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Election Day (polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)City of Ann Arbor City ClerkNov 3, 2026

The seat math

5 stay (not up this year): Erica Briggs, Lisa Disch, Jen Eyer, Jon Mallek, Travis Radina6 on this ballot

11 council seats. The council decides by a 6-vote majority.

The City Council consists of the mayor and 10 council members, two from each of Ann Arbor's five wards. City of Ann Arbor
One half of City Council is elected every two years, concurrent with the State General Election, in partisan elections. City of Ann Arbor
Council members serve four-year terms. VOTE411 (League of Women Voters)
The mayor presides over City Council, has the power and duty to vote, and has the power to veto. VOTE411 (League of Women Voters)
The mayor's office on this ballot is for a four-year term. Washtenaw County Clerk · Sep 25, 2026

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