Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Carpinteria City Council in the Nov. 3 election, with two contested races and one incumbent running unopposed.

Carpinteria voters in Districts 1, 3 and 5 will elect representatives for four-year terms that’ll extend through December 2030.

As the city faces a structural budget deficit, rising infrastructure costs and pressures to accommodate new housing while still preserving its small-town character, Carpinteria’s next City Council will have to balance what the city can afford—with what it can’t afford to lose. 

Vice Mayor Mónica Solórzano faces challenger Aja Forner in District 1, while Alexandra “Xy” VanAntwerp and Randy Carrasco are competing for the District 5 seat being vacated by longtime councilmember Al Clark. District 3 incumbent Julia Mayer is running unopposed. 

District 1

Solórzano, who was elected to the council in 2022 and is currently serving as vice mayor, is looking to serve a second four-year term representing District 1.

Aside from being a longtime UC Santa Barbara employee, Solórzano has also served on the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District board and has been involved with several local community organizations.

Her campaign priorities encompass the expansion of affordable and workforce housing, supporting local businesses and maintaining the city’s services amid budget constraints.

Solórzano has also supported pursuing additional revenue sources to address the city’s financial struggles while maintaining essential services.

Challenging her is Forner, a Carpinteria Library commissioner and nonprofit manager with Therapy Dogs of America who previously served as president of the Canalino School PTA.

Forner advocates for fiscal discipline, infrastructure maintenance and streamlining the city’s permitting process to encourage business growth.

She has criticized the council’s approval of budgets with projected deficits and called for greater fiscal responsibility. Some of her campaign priorities include the protection of open spaces and pursuing the development of smaller-scale affordable housing.

District 5

With Clark stepping down after 20 years on the council, District 5 is the only open seat in this year’s election.

VanAntwerp, a fourth-generation Carpinteria resident and member of the city’s Planning Commission, has a background in business and technology consulting. She was appointed to the commission in February 2025.

Her campaign focuses on achieving fiscal sustainability and expanding affordable housing. She also places emphasis on protecting Carpinteria’s natural resources. 

VanAntwerp has proposed a temporary freeze on both hiring and new consulting contracts. In tandem with these cuts, she also proposes establishing a resident finance committee and publishing clearer monthly financial reports.

On housing, she supports creating a dedicated housing trust fund and partnering with nonprofit developers. She also looks to reduce the number of short-term rentals to help preserve the existing housing supply for local residents.

Running against her is Randy Carrasco, a parole agent supervisor. He is currently nearing the end of his three-decade career in law enforcement.

Carrasco says that dedicating more city resources to infrastructure maintenance, such as repairing roads and sidewalks, is a top priority, while also advocating for additional state and federal funding.

He has also expressed support for the divisive and long-contested Surfliner Inn Project. In his view, the development is an opportunity to drive city revenue and increase local economic activity.

When it comes to housing, Carrasco favors repurposing vacant and underutilized buildings for residential development. He also maintains that new projects account for the costs of roads, public safety and other services.

District 3

Mayer is a local business owner and co-founder of Dune Coffee Roasters. A third-generation Carpinteria resident, she faces no opposition in her run for the District 3 City Council seat.

After winning a short two-year term in 2024, Mayer is back on the ballot seeking her first full four-year term.

Much like Forner, she is prioritizing the expansion of affordable housing opportunities for working families along with protecting Carpinteria’s open spaces. She is also focused on addressing the city’s long-term fiscal stability.

To help the city stretch its limited resources, Mayer has advocated for the city to review its contracts and staffing needs, and team up with neighboring jurisdictions to share services. This efficiency drive is designed to safeguard funding for public safety, infrastructure and critical community programs.

The election is set to take place on Nov. 3, and voters from the designated districts will define the city’s governance and policy for the next four years.