Santa Barbara voters will decide on four contested city council races in the November general election—one of the city’s most competitive contests in recent years. 

Two city council veterans and two challengers are vying to be Santa Barbara Mayor and three city council seats are up for election.

Santa Barbara Mayor

Eric Friedman, councilmember/grocery worker 

Friedman, the current District 5 representative, is a Trader Joe’s employee and a former staffer for Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara. Friedman is focused on increasing affordable housing, improving emergency preparedness and climate protection, ensuring budget transparency and bringing more activity to downtown Santa Barbara. 

On the council, he opposed the proposed rent stabilization ordinance and led the push for a new police station. He also opposed city budgets two years in a row for relying too heavily on emergency reserves, and voted in July to reopen State Street to cars. 

Friedman chairs the Finance Committee, and is part of the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Committee, the Homeless Adhoc Committee and more. 

Eric Friedman stands outside. Friedman, the current District 5 representative, is running for Santa Barbara Mayor. (Courtesy of Eric Friedman)

Kristen Sneddon, councilmember  

Sneddon, who has represented District 4 for nine years, serves on 18 city agencies and committees including the Historic Landmarks Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and the Community Development and Human Services Committee. She is currently Mayor Pro Tempore and an environmental geology professor at Santa Barbara City College. 

Sneddon’s priorities include building more sustainable infrastructure, increasing affordable housing and improving wildfire resilience. She also wants to improve public safety by replacing old fire stations, creating a flood mitigation plan and implementing safer crossings at high-risk roads. 

Kristen Sneddon, who represents District 4, is pictured. She is currently Mayor Pro Tempore and an environmental geology professor at Santa Barbara City College. (Courtesy of Kristen Sneddon)

Matt Kilrain, author

Kilrain—also known as “Boat Rat Matt”—wants to ensure Santa Barbara is a safe place for children, unite people with diverse beliefs, support local entrepreneurs and strengthen oversight in the council. He had an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2021, receiving around 0.7% of the vote. 

Kilrain’s motto is to “Stop the divide, raise the vibe and unite the 805.”

Matt Kilrain is pictured. Kilrain, also known as “Boat Rat Matt,” is running to be Santa Barbara’s next mayor. (Courtesy of Matt Kilrain)

Wendy Sims-Moten, executive director

Sims-Moten, a more than 30-year resident, was a Santa Barbara Unified school district board member from 2016 to 2024. She is executive chair of First 5 Santa Barbara County, a commission focused on early childhood development, and chair of the African American Women of Santa Barbara County.  

In a March 30 Instagram video, Sims-Moten said she wants to focus on stabilizing rents, addressing affordability concerns and improving education. 

Wendy Sims-Moten is pictured. Sims-Moten, a more than 30-year resident, wants to focus on stabilizing rents, addressing affordability concerns and improving education. (Courtesy of Wendy Sims-Moten)

District 4

Devon Wardlow, planning commissioner/businesswoman 

Wardlow, a graduate of Santa Barbara High School and UCSB, chairs the Planning Commission and served on the Santa Barbara County Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission. On the planning commission, she pushed for affordability and accountability in developments. 

If elected, Wardlow wants to improve public spaces, emergency preparedness and wildfire prevention, and support local businesses by making permitting processes easier. 

Devon Wardlow sits in City Hall. Wardlow, a graduate of Santa Barbara High School and UCSB, is running to represent District 4. (Courtesy of Devon Wardlow)

Monte Wilson, small business owner

Wilson, a former tech executive, co-chaired Rally4Kids, which has raised nearly $3 million for the United Boys & Girls Clubs. He co-founded nonprofit organizations Santa Barbara Cars & Coffee, which raises funds for the Santa Barbara Police Foundation, The Unity Shop and Toys for Tots. 

Wilson’s priorities include revitalizing downtown, ensuring responsible budgeting in the council and expanding housing. He also wants to address homelessness and fully fund Santa Barbara’s police and fire departments. 

Monte Wilson, a former tech executive, is pictured. Wilson’s priorities include revitalizing downtown, ensuring responsible budgeting in the council and expanding housing. (Courtesy of Monte Wilson)

Genevieve Taft-Vazquez, small business owner

Taft-Vazquez serves on the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Council and grew up in District 4. She wants to make downtown Santa Barbara more walkable, build more workforce housing and ensure the city council’s budgeting is more efficient. 

Taft-Vazquez is also focused on improving public safety, reducing congestion on roads and increasing career and recreational opportunities for young people. 

Genevieve Taft-Vazquez is pictured. She serves on the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Council and grew up in District 4. (Courtesy of Genevieve Taft-Vazquez)

Jason Dominguez, attorney

Dominguez was a councilmember from 2015 to 2019, before he was ousted by Alejandra Gutierrez in District 1. On the council, he pushed to bring more activity to the Funk Zone, State Street and Coast Village Road, co-sponsored an affordable housing ordinance and supported renovation projects on the Eastside. 

If elected, he wants to focus on increasing Santa Barbara’s fire preparedness, building more housing and revitalizing State Street. He also wants to make city streets safer and address homelessness. 

Jason Dominguez is pictured. Dominguez was a councilmember from 2015 to 2019. (Courtesy of Jason Dominguez)

District 5

James G. Zurlinden, media buyer/accountant

Zurlinden, a 13-year Santa Barbara resident, was a chef before he transitioned to working in finance and marketing. 

He is focused on redeveloping La Cumbre Plaza, addressing homelessness and making State Street more vibrant and city budgeting more transparent. Zurlinden also wants to abolish Flock Cameras—surveillance devices powered by artificial intelligence—from Santa Barbara. 

James G. Zurlinden stands next to the beach. Zurlinden, a 13-year Santa Barbara resident, is running to represent District 5. (Courtesy of James G. Zurlinden)

Ian J. Baucke, senate district representative

Baucke, a graduate of San Marcos High School and George Washington University, is chair of Santa Barbara’s Transportation and Circulation Committee. He led the Safe Streets for All Action Plan, which aims to improve city roads prone to severe accidents. 

If elected, Baucke wants to invest in wildfire protections and clean energy, increase affordable housing and push for safer streets. 

Ian J. Baucke is pictured. Baucke, chair of Santa Barbara’s Transportation and Circulation Committee, led the Safe Streets for All Action Plan. (Courtesy of Ian J. Baucke)

Cevin Cathell, film producer/businesswoman 

Cathell has lived in Santa Barbara for 26 years and helped form the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in its early stages as program director. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and worked in the Texas State Legislature. 

Cathell is focused on public safety, revitalizing La Cumbre Plaza, maintaining a balanced city budget, building more affordable housing and protecting the environment. 

Cevin Cathell is pictured. Cathel, who has lived in Santa Barbara for 26 years, is running to represent District 5. (Courtesy of Cevin Cathell)

District 6

Alexander Stoeber, real estate advisor 

Stoeber is founder and chief executive officer of Elevata Inc., a generative AI consulting firm, and real estate advisor for Compass, a real estate technology company. He is a graduate of UCSB. 

Stoeber’s priorities include building more housing, improving public spaces and city streets and implementing protections for tenants. He is an opponent of the June 10 draft of the rent stabilization ordinance. 

Alexander Stoeber is pictured. He is founder and chief executive officer of Elevata Inc., a generative AI consulting firm, and real estate advisor for Compass, a real estate technology company. (Courtesy of Alexander Stoeber)

Gabe Escobedo, school board member

Escobedo is president of the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education, and was chair of the Planning Commission and the Santa Barbara Community Formation Commission. On the school board, he advocated for affordable housing for teachers and school staff. 

He wants to address housing affordability, improve transparency at City Hall and preserve Santa Barbara’s public spaces. 

Gabe Escobedo, president of the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education, is pictured. He advocated for affordable housing for teachers and school staff on the school board. (Courtesy of Gabe Escobedo)

Anabella Lehne, loan signing agent

Lehne is a former escrow assistant for Fidelity National Title.

She has written opinion articles about affordability, against rent control and for building more housing in Santa Barbara. 

Anabella Lehne stands on the sidewalk. Lehne is running to represent District 6. (Courtesy of Anabella Lehne)

Jason Carlton, small business owner

Carlton is president of Carlton Electrical Construction, a local electrical contractor, and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 413, a union representing more than 280 electrical workers. He wants to advocate for the needs of residents, businesses and workers. 

Carlton had an unsuccessful run to represent District 6 in 2021.

Jason Carlton is pictured. Carlton is running to represent District 6. (Courtesy of Jason Carlton)

Amanda Velasco is a Sara Miller McCune News-Press Summer Fellow and rising junior at UCLA, majoring in Public Affairs. She is the current News editor and was previously the Features and Student Life editor for UCLA’s student publication, The Daily Bruin.