Voter Guide: California’s City Council Elections on Nov. 5, 2024

On November 5, 2024, voters across California will vote for their next city council members. This voter guide highlights the city council races taking place in key cities in California, from Los Angeles to Oakland.

Learn who’s on your ballot, what to expect, and which candidates running for city council are GoodParty.org Certified, meaning they have committed to running independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption campaigns.

What to Know for California’s November 5 Municipal Elections

Here are a few points to keep in mind as you head to the polls this November:

• All municipal elections in California are nonpartisan. According to California’s Constitution, in Article II, Section 6(a), all judicial, school, county, and city offices are meant to be nonpartisan positions. This means that candidates’ party affiliations will not appear on the ballot.

• Many cities held non-partisan primary elections for city council earlier this year. This includes Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose. In these cities, the city council elections taking place on November 5, 2024 are run-off elections.

• Some cities are also holding elections for mayor and other municipal offices this November. For example, voters in San Diego will have the opportunity to vote for mayor, city attorney, and city council.

• Check your local government’s website for the latest updates. Visit your city’s website for the most up-to-date information, including sample ballots and how to find your polling location.

Who’s On the Ballot in California’s City Council Elections

Below, we’ll walk you through who is running for city council in some of California’s major cities, plus how to find your city council ward or district.

Los Angeles City Council

On November 5, Los Angeles voters will cast their ballots for city council members in three districts: District 2, District 10, and District 14. 

Los Angeles has a total of 15 council districts. Run-off elections for District 4, District 6, District 8, and District 12 were canceled after candidates in those districts won outright in the March 5, 2024 primary election.

Here are the candidates running for office in the three council districts holding run-off elections this November:

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Jillian Burgos

• Adrin Nazarian

The incumbent council member in District 2, Paul Krekorian, is not a candidate in the run-off election.

On the Ballot in District 10:

• Heather Hutt

• Grace Yoo

Heather Hutt is the incumbent officeholder in District 10.

On the Ballot in District 14:

• Ysabel J. Jurado

• Kevin de León

Kevin de León is the incumbent officeholder in District 14, which is located in east Los Angeles.

Not sure which city council district you live in? Explore an interactive map of Los Angeles’ city council districts here.

San Diego City Council

On November 5, voters in San Diego can vote for their next mayor, city attorney, and city council members in Districts 3 and 9. 

San Diego has a total of nine city council districts. General elections were canceled in District 1, District 5, and District 7 after only one candidate ran for office in each of those districts.

On the Ballot in District 3:

• Coleen Cusack

• Stephen Whitburn

Stephen Whitburn is a current council member in San Diego.

On the Ballot in District 9:

• Terry Hoskins

• Sean Elo-Rivera

Sean Elo-Rivera is an incumbent running for reelection in this race.

You can find your city council district by exploring this interactive map of San Diego’s city council districts.

San Jose City Council

San Jose plans to elect city council members in District 2, District 6, District 8, and District 10 on November 5.

In District 4, candidate David Cohen won election outright in the nonpartisan primary on March 5.

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Pamela Campos

• Joe A. Lopez

Neither candidate in this race is an incumbent.

On the Ballot in District 6:

• Michael Mulcahy

• Olivia Navarro

While neither candidate in District 6 is an incumbent council member, Olivia Navarro is a current city commissioner.

On the Ballot in District 8:

• Domingo Candelas

• Tam Truong

Domingo Candelas is the appointed incumbent representing District 8.

On the Ballot in District 10:

• Arjun Batra

• George Casey

Argun Batra is the appointed incumbent council member in District 10.

Not sure which city council district you belong to? View district maps on San Jose’s city website.

Sacramento City Council

In Sacramento, District 2 is the only city council district that will hold a run-off election this November. Sacramento voters will also cast their ballots for their next mayor.

The next municipal election for city council is scheduled for June 2, 2026. At that time, Sacramento’s odd-numbered council districts will hold elections.

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Roger Dickinson

• Stephen Walton

The current council member representing District 2, Shoun Thao, is not on the ballot. 

District 2 includes the northeast corner of Sacramento. View a map of the city’s council districts here.

Oakland City Council

Unlike the cities listed above, Oakland did not hold a primary election for city council earlier this year. Instead, Oakland held a special election for city auditor on March 5, and is holding a general election for all open city council seats on November 5.

Both at-large and district seats are up for election in Oakland. District 1, District 3, District 5, and District 7 are electing city council members this year.

With three GoodParty.org Certified candidates on the ballot in Oakland, voters have valuable options for people-powered, anti-corruption representation.

On the Ballot for At-Large Seats:

• LeRonne L. Armstrong

• Rowena Brown

• Shawn Danino

• Kanitha Matoury (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Mindy Ruth Pechenuk

• Fabian Robinson

• Nancy Sidebotham

• Selika Thomas

• Cristina “Tina” Tostado

• Charlene Wang (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

On the Ballot in District 1:

• Edward C. Frank

• Len Raphael

• Zac Unger

On the Ballot in District 3:

• Baba Afolabi (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Carroll Fife

• Michelle D. Hailey (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Shan M. Hirsch

• Warren Mitchell Logan

• Meron Semedar

On the Ballot in District 5:

• Erin Armstrong

• Noel Gallo

• Dominic Prado

On the Ballot in District 7:

• Merika Goolsby

• Marcia Hodge

• Ken Houston

• Iris Merriouns

You can find an interactive map of Oakland’s city council districts on the city’s website.

Bakersfield City Council

Bakersfield plans to elect city council members in three wards this year: Ward 2, Ward 5, and Ward 6. Only one incumbent is currently running for reelection, giving Bakersfield voters the chance to bring new perspectives onto the council.

On the Ballot in Ward 2:

• Michael Cardenas

• Andrae Gonzales

Andrae Gonzales is an incumbent running for reelection in this council ward.

On the Ballot in Ward 5:

• Larry Koman

• Kevin Oliver

• Mike Madrigal

On the Ballot in Ward 6:

• Zack Bashirtash

• Imelda Ceja

• Johnny Olaguez

• Tom Webster (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

Ward 2 and Ward 6 are located in central Bakersfield. Ward 5 includes the southwestern corner of Bakersfield. View a map of all seven city council wards here.

Anaheim City Council

Anaheim will elect city council members in District 1, District 4, and District 5.

On the Ballot in District 1:

• Ojaala Ahmad

• Ryan Balius

While not an incumbent council member, Ryan Balius is a current city commissioner in Anaheim.

On the Ballot in District 4:

• Norma Campos Kurtz

• Francisco Rosas

Norma Campos Kurtz is an appointed incumbent running for reelection in this race.

On the Ballot in District 5:

• Kristen M. Maahs

• Cristal Ruiz

• Andrew Sarega

Visit Anaheim’s city website for an interactive map of the city’s council districts.

Stockton City Council

In Stockton, city council elections will take place in District 2, District 4, and District 6. Stockton will also hold elections for its next mayor and two ballot measures, Measure M and Measure N.

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Mariela Ponce

• Waqar Rizvi

On the Ballot in District 4:

• Mario Enriquez

• Gina Valadez-Bracamonte

On the Ballot in District 6:

• Jason Lee

• Kimberly Warmsley 

Kimberly Warmsley is an incumbent officeholder and the vice mayor of Stockton.

Not sure which city council district is yours? View a map of Stockton’s six council districts here.

Irvine City Council

The city of Irvine plans to hold elections for mayor and city council members in four districts. In District 1, voters will elect a city council member to a two-year term. In District 2, District 3, and District 4, voters will elect city council members to four-year terms.

Irvine’s list of city council candidates includes various city commissioners and businesspeople, as well as one GoodParty.org Certified candidate.

On the Ballot in District 1:

• Michelle Johnson

• Jackie Kan

• Jeff Kitchen

• Melinda Liu

• John Park

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Gang Chen

• William Go

• Mohamed Kothermydeen

• Jeff Starke

• Parrisa Yazdani (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

On the Ballot in District 3:

• Tom Chomyn

• James Mai

• Jing Sun

On the Ballot in District 4:

• Mike Carroll

• Ayn Craciun

Mike Carroll is a current member of Irvine’s city council.

Santa Ana City Council

On November 5, Santa Ana voters will cast their ballots for mayor and three city council members. Ward 1, Ward 3, and Ward 5 are electing council members, each for a four-year term. Four ballot measures will also be part of the municipal election in Santa Ana.

On the Ballot in Ward 1:

• Thai Viet Phan

• Julie Tran

Thai Viet Phan is a current council member running for reelection.

On the Ballot in Ward 3:

• Jeffrey Katz (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Jessie Lopez

Jessie Lopez is a current officeholder on Santa Ana’s city council.

On the Ballot in Ward 5:

• Mario Alvarado

• Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez is an incumbent city council member.

Voters can find their ward using an interactive map of Santa Ana’s six city council wards.

Fremont City Council

Voters in Fremont have the chance to vote for their next mayor and three city council members, representing District 1, District 5, and District 6.

On the Ballot in District 1:

• Teresa Keng

• Pravesh Kumar

• Ranvir Sandhu

Teresa Keng is the current officeholder in District 1.

On the Ballot in District 5:

• Sterling Engle

• Chandra Wagh (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Yajing Zhang

There is no incumbent running for reelection in District 5.

On the Ballot in District 6:

• Teresa Cox (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Raymond Liu

Teresa Cox is the current council member representing District 6, as well as the vice mayor of Fremont.

Find your city council district in Fremont using this interactive map.

Huntington Beach City Council

Three city council seats are up for election in Huntington Beach, along with the offices of city clerk and city treasurer.

On the Ballot for City Council:

• Rhonda Bolton

• Amory Hanson

• Marissa Jackson (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Dan Kalmick

• Don Kennedy

• Natalie Moser

• Butch Twining

• Chad Williams

Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick, and Natalie Moser are incumbent candidates running for reelection.

Garden Grove City Council

This November, Garden Grove plans to elect the city’s mayor and city council members in three districts: District 2, District 5, and District 6.

On the Ballot in District 2:

• Phillip Nguyen

• John Ramirez

On the Ballot in District 5:

• Mariyan Bahadarakhann (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

• Yesenia Muneton

• Sandra Thomas

On the Ballot in District 6:

• Ariana Arestegui

• Tri T. Lam (GoodParty.org Certified candidate)

Voters can find an interactive map of Garden Grove’s six city council districts here.

Get Ready for Election Day in Your City

Are you ready to vote on November 5, 2024?

This voter guide includes just a few of the cities in California that have GoodParty.org Certified candidates on the ballot this year. 

Check out these spotlights on other GoodParty.org Certified candidates running for city council in California:

• Eric Faulkner, independent candidate for city council in Temecula

• West Seegmiller, independent candidate for city council in West Hollywood

• Japjeet Uppal, non-partisan candidate for city council in Livingston

You can also explore our full collection of candidate spotlights here. GoodParty.org is proud to offer free campaign tools and support to independent and non-partisan candidates in California and across the United States.

Interested in making a difference ahead of election day? Learn how you can support independent candidates in California by becoming part of GoodParty.org’s volunteer community.

Photo by Alejandro Luengo on Unsplash