Ian Baucke, an experienced policy professional born and raised in Santa Barbara, has been elected to fill Eric Friedman’s City Council seat for District 5.

Baucke won with 62.8 percent of the vote. Film producer Cevin Cathell followed as the runner up with 26.8 percent and media buyer James Zurlinden at 9.8 percent coming in third. In addition to leading the polls, Baucke led campaign fundraising, bringing in over $20,000.

Full results

“I’m really excited just to roll up my sleeves and meet with all my departments that I haven’t met with yet, and talk things through,” Baucke told the News-Press.

He celebrated his win at Validation Ale, which served as the Democratic Party’s home base on election night. Baucke, endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, was there with the party’s other endorsed candidates such as Devon Wardlow and Kristen Sneddon.

The Democratic Party was one of a powerful string of endorsements, including the Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, the Tenants Union, Representative Salud Carbajal and the Sierra Club.

A 2020 graduate of George Washington University, Baucke is set to be one of the youngest City Council Members Santa Barbara has seen. Baucke has said that the Santa Barbara he grew up in has been slipping out of reach, especially in terms of affordability.

Of the other candidates in the race for District 5, Baucke held the most political experience. Other candidates claimed their work experience was applicable and would transfer well to the job.

He first made a name for himself in Santa Barbara politics as a member of StrongTowns Santa Barbara, which supports the State Street Master Plan. He works as an aide for state Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, is chair of the city’s Transportation and Circulation Committee and serves on the board of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party.

And it runs in the family—his father John Baucke is on the Santa Barbara Planning Commission.

Baucke has a clear set of progressive principles that align with Santa Barbara progressives. He’s vocally supported the rent stabilization ordinance and the State Street Master Plan.

As Baucke stepped into Validation Ale, he told the News-Press that affordable housing and public safety are first on his mind in terms of city council action.

“People are fed up, and we need some real energy at the council level,” Baucke said.

Sofia Wallace is a Sara Miller McCune News-Press Summer Fellow and 2026 graduate of UC Berkeley where she reported for The Daily Californian, and majored in Media Studies with a minor in Journalism. She is a graduate of San Marcos High School.