A rematch is coming to Buellton, where voters will choose the city’s next mayor in a deja-vu contest with a twist.
When David Silva and Dave King faced off in 2024, the challenger Silva knocked King from the throne. Two years later, King is back and looking to unseat his once-and-future opponent.
“It’s a progress check,” Mayor Silva said Friday, describing democratic elections as a “stress test” and himself as a typical feedback-craving millennial. “I like the fact that Buellton gets to have a choice.”
It’s not the only stress test invigorating Mid County politics. Voters will see similar head-to-head races for mayor in nearby Solvang and Lompoc. In addition, several city council seats across the Santa Ynez and Lompoc valleys are up for grabs.
While all races like the mayoral race in Buellton — with incumbents seeking reelection — are now set, elections officials said they expected to finalize a list of candidates in all open races across Santa Barbara County as soon as Monday.
Translation: Campaign season is here, and it’s already heating up.
Early dynamics: King talks money
In Buellton, King appears focused on moving the city in a back-to-basics direction. It’s a path voters there agree with, he said.
“They’re concerned about the amount of money that’s been spent,” the former California Highway Patrol officer said. He criticized a 2025 City Hall pledge of $1 million to the Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum, calling it a misplaced expenditure benefitting too narrow an audience.
Water, public works and infrastructure, “that’s what taxpayer money ought to be spent on,” King said.
In addition, he questioned why the proposed Santa Ynez Valley Trail project isn’t further along. Construction of the anticipated pedestrian, bike and equestrian trail connecting the most populated nine miles of the valley won’t start for two years.
Silva: amenities are okay
Mayor Silva started knocking on doors last month, before he knew how the race would firm up, he said.
On Friday, Silva countered the notion that Buellton has strayed from core municipal responsibilities.
“You can walk and chew gum,” he said, adding the city has capacity in its balanced budget to help fund family-focused amenities like the children’s museum, or the ongoing campaign to build a new Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex.
The city can do this, Silva said, while maintaining its infrastructure and coordinating with outside agencies on key projects.
“An election is a really good stress test of the system,” Silva said. “My hope is that this is a campaign where the tone and tenor stays at ‘We’re all each other’s neighbors.’”
Other Mid County contests
In addition to the mayoral race, another contest has the potential to shake up the makeup of Buellton City Hall.
In the open District 1 City Council race, special education teacher Billy Silvola will face retired Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mark Williams. Councilmember Hudson Hornick is not seeking reelection; the coming week will reveal if any 11th hour additions to the ballot are still coming.
Separately, incumbent Buellton City Councilmember Carla Mead, who represents District 4, is running unopposed.
In Solvang, former mayoral candidate Denise El Amin, a former member of the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Commission, is challenging incumbent Mayor David Brown, a businessman and entrepreneur, in his first reelection bid.
In separate Solvang City Council races, incumbent Councilmember Louise Smith, who represents District 3, and incumbent Councilmember Elizabeth Orona, who represents District 4, are running unopposed.
To the west, Lompoc City Councilmember Jeremy Ball is challenging incumbent Mayor Jim Mosby, who has served in that position since 2024.
In the Lompoc District 2 City Council race, housing site manager Sharlameigne Segovia will face incumbent Councilmember Victor Vega.
And in the open Lompoc District 3 council race, registered nurse Sara Hanne Read will face candidate Nicholas Gonzales Jr. Incumbent Councilmember Dirk Starbuck is not running for reelection; County officials will confirm and announce any late additions to the ballot in that race as soon as Monday.
