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City of Arroyo Grande · Statewide General Election

Mayor of Arroyo Grande

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person would serve a 2-year term as Arroyo Grande's directly elected, at-large Mayor, presiding over the 5-member City Council that sets city ordinances, the budget, and land use for this San Luis Obispo County city of about 18,441 residents (2020 Census). Arroyo Grande runs under a council-manager government -- City Manager Matthew Downing handles day-to-day operations under Council direction.

Two candidates are running for Mayor of Arroyo Grande: Sean Schuur and Glenn T. Martin. Vote for one -- no runoff, whoever gets the most votes wins outright. This is a wide-open race: 21-year city-government veteran Caren Ray Russom, Mayor since 2018, is not running again.

The Mayor is Arroyo Grande's only directly elected, at-large citywide office, serving a 2-year term and presiding over the 5-member City Council that sets city ordinances, the budget, and land use for this San Luis Obispo County city of about 18,441 residents (2020 Census). Arroyo Grande runs under a council-manager government -- City Manager Matthew Downing handles day-to-day operations under Council direction; the four district Council seats are not up this cycle.

Mayor Caren Ray Russom did not file for reelection -- the city's own Notice of Offices and Nominations certifies the City Clerk did not furnish nomination papers to an incumbent for this office, since there wasn't one seeking to file. She announced her departure in June 2026 after more than two decades in Arroyo Grande municipal government (planning commission and City Council before her 2018 election as Mayor), citing no specific reason beyond thanking residents for "the highest honor of my life." With the seat open, the useful question is which candidate's own platform and record best fit what you want from the next two years.

Sean Schuur

Sean Schuur has operated a mortgage company in Arroyo Grande for more than 20 years (currently a management position at American Pacific Mortgage Corporation dba Sure Mortgage Solutions, per his own campaign-finance paperwork). His own campaign site describes him as the city's 2015 Citizen of the Year and a past President of the South County Chamber of Commerce. His stated platform centers on six priorities: responsible growth that protects the city's "small-town character," safe neighborhoods, support for local businesses, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure (roads, parks, water), and preserving Arroyo Grande's "historic and agricultural roots."

Strengths

A live campaign site laying out a specific six-point platform, two decades running a local business, and named civic roles: 2015 Citizen of the Year, Chamber president.

Trade-offs

All of that detail comes from his own campaign site -- no independent news profile or fact-check of his candidacy was found this pass. His endorsements page lists no real endorser yet.

Keep in mind

His committee organized late and has not yet filed a full financial statement -- only two $1,000 late contributions are on record so far.

Glenn T. Martin

Glenn T. Martin is the founder and principal broker of Glenn Martin Company, a commercial and residential real estate brokerage he has run for more than 20 years across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties (CA DRE license #01250759), per the firm's own business site. His FPPC campaign-finance paperwork lists his occupation as "real estate broker." No dedicated 2026 campaign website, platform statement, or independent news coverage of his mayoral candidacy was found this pass -- his only public 2026 campaign presence located is his official candidate paperwork and campaign-finance filings.

Strengths

Two decades as a local business owner and licensed real estate broker, independently confirmed by his own company's site, matching his campaign paperwork.

Trade-offs

No campaign website, platform statement, or independent news profile was found for his candidacy this pass -- unlike Schuur, there's no self-authored platform to weigh.

Keep in mind

His only reported contribution is a $5,000 loan to his own campaign, not yet spent as of the most recent filing -- an early, not final, financial picture.

Source review: Strong (87/100) · 12 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context; advocacy or endorsement sources are treated as attributed perspective.

Review note: Glenn Martin Company's own business site (glennmartincompany.com), independent of any campaign page: describes Glenn Thomas Martin as the firm's founder and principal broker, holder of CA DRE license #01250759, with over twenty years managing commercial property, lease negotiation, and project management on California's Central Coast before the firm expanded into a full-service residential and commercial brokerage across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. No dedicated 2026 mayoral campaign website was found for Martin; this business site does not mention his candidacy. and Sean Schuur's own 2026 campaign site (schuurformayor.com): self-described background -- operating a mortgage company in Arroyo Grande for more than 20 years, named the city's Citizen of the Year in 2015, past President of the South County Chamber of Commerce -- and a six-point platform (responsible growth, safe neighborhoods, strong local businesses, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, and preserving the city's "historic and agricultural roots"). Its endorsements page carries only a placeholder "Example Endorsement," not a real endorser. Campaign voice, quoted and attributed as such -- no independent news coverage of his 2026 candidacy was found this pass. may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

  • slocounty.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder -- "List of Contests With and Without Sufficient Candidates for the November 3, 2026, General Election" (an Elections Code Section 10515 notice, which applies only to special districts, not general-law cities): lists every community services district, school district, and special district office either cancelled for insufficient candidates or confirmed on the ballot -- and contains no city-council row of any kind, for Arroyo Grande or any other San Luis Obispo County city, confirming the county does not administer city nominations.
  • arroyogrande.org (opens in a new tab)City of Arroyo Grande -- "Notice of Election," signed by City Clerk Jessica Matson, published in The Tribune (July 12, 2026) and New Times (July 16, 2026): states the three offices up in the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election -- one Mayor (2-year term), one District 1 Council Member (4-year term), one District 4 Council Member (4-year term) -- the nomination period (July 13-Aug. 7, 2026, extendable to Aug. 12 only for an unfiled incumbent), and the boilerplate Elections Code Section 10229 appointment-in-lieu-of-election language.
  • arroyogrande.org (opens in a new tab)City of Arroyo Grande -- "Notice of Offices and Nominations" (Elections Code Section 10224.5), signed by City Clerk Jessica Matson and dated Aug. 4, 2026: certifies in the Clerk's own words that she "has not furnished nomination papers to the incumbent for the open office of Mayor" (confirming the Mayor's race is open) and "has furnished nomination papers to the incumbents for the open offices of District 1 and District 4 Council Members" (confirming Kate Secrest and Jim Guthrie are each the sitting incumbent filing for their own seat).
  • arroyogrande.org (opens in a new tab)City of Arroyo Grande -- "General Municipal Election - Nov 3, 2026" page: lists the qualified candidates for each office in the Secretary of State's own Aug. 13, 2026 randomized-alphabet order -- Mayor, Sean Schuur and Glenn T. Martin; District 1, Kate Secrest alone; District 4, Jim Guthrie alone -- under the heading "Candidates Running for Elective Office," not as appointees.
  • arroyogrande.org (opens in a new tab)City of Arroyo Grande -- "City Council" page: names the sitting five-member Council -- Mayor Caren Ray Russom (at-large), Mayor Pro Tem Jamie Maraviglia (District 3), Kate Secrest (District 1), Aileen Loe (District 2), Jim Guthrie (District 4) -- and states Council Members serve four-year overlapping terms, the Mayor serves a two-year term, and by-district Council elections began with the November 2022 General Municipal Election.
  • en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- "Arroyo Grande, California": used narrowly for the 2020 Census population figure (18,441), the council-manager form of government, and City Manager Matthew Downing -- independently corroborated by the city's own site search, which surfaces his staff email (mdowning@arroyogrande.org) on the City Manager page.
  • calcoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)Cal Coast News -- "Arroyo Grande Mayor Caren Ray Russom will not run for reelection" (June 13, 2026): reports Ray Russom's decision not to seek another term after more than 21 years in Arroyo Grande municipal government (planning commission and City Council before her 2018 election as Mayor), highlights fire-department improvements, a $30 million sanitation-district redundancy project, and three bridge replacements from her tenure, and quotes her: "It's all been a privilege, and being your mayor has been the highest honor of my life." Does not state a reason for her decision or name any prospective successor.
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of Arroyo Grande's own official campaign-finance disclosure system (NetFile, agency code CAG, linked from the city's own Campaign Electronic Filing System page), QuickNameSearch API queried by surname for each of the four candidates: confirms a candidate record and an active 2026 committee for Sean Schuur ("Schuur for Mayor 2026"), Glenn T. Martin ("Glenn Martin for Mayor 2026"), Kate/Kathleen Secrest ("Kate Secrest," prior name "Kathleen P. Secrest"), and James/Jim Guthrie ("Guthrie, Jim," prior committee name "Jim Guthrie for City Council District 4 2022") -- independently corroborating all four names against the city's own election page roster.
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)Sean Schuur's NetFile filing history (agency code CAG, candidate id 217159744), queried via the portal's public JSON API: no semi-annual FPPC Form 460 on file -- his committee's Form 410 statement of organization was filed Aug. 13, 2026, after the mid-year reporting deadline -- only two FPPC Form 497 late-contribution reports, downloaded and read directly: $1,000 from Scott and Cissie Pace (occupation "Contractor - Developer"), received Aug. 4, 2026, and $1,000 from Rick and Teri Gambril (Gambril & Associates, property manager), received Aug. 27, 2026. His FPPC Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests (filed 7/28/2026, covering 1/1-7/28/2026) reports a management position at American Pacific Mortgage Corporation dba Sure Mortgage Solutions (income over $100,000) and two Arroyo Grande properties: 214 North Rena (his primary residence, tenants Richard and David Darin) and 504 Hawkins Court (tenants Ryan and Mackenzie Poirier).
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)Glenn T. Martin's NetFile filing history (agency code CAG, candidate id 216891580), queried via the portal's public JSON API: his committee ("Glenn Martin for Mayor 2026") filed an amended semi-annual FPPC Form 460 for 1/1-6/30/2026, downloaded and read directly, showing $5,000 in total contributions received (a single personal loan from Martin himself, occupation "real estate broker" at his own "Glenn Martin Company"), $0 spent, and $5,000 cash on hand. His FPPC Form 700 (filed 7/26/2026) reports the presidency of Glenn Martin Company, an S-corporation commercial real estate agency (income $10,001-$100,000), and real property at 855 Olive Street, Arroyo Grande; its Schedule A-2 lists the Dollinger Family Trust, Betty Carroll Trust, and Arroyo Grande Pacific, LLC as reportable income sources to that company.
  • schuurformayor.com (opens in a new tab)Sean Schuur's own 2026 campaign site (schuurformayor.com): self-described background -- operating a mortgage company in Arroyo Grande for more than 20 years, named the city's Citizen of the Year in 2015, past President of the South County Chamber of Commerce -- and a six-point platform (responsible growth, safe neighborhoods, strong local businesses, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, and preserving the city's "historic and agricultural roots"). Its endorsements page carries only a placeholder "Example Endorsement," not naming any real endorser, so no endorsement is cited from it. Campaign voice, quoted and attributed as such -- no independent news coverage of his 2026 candidacy was found this pass.
  • glennmartincompany.com (opens in a new tab)Glenn Martin Company's own business site (glennmartincompany.com), independent of any campaign page: describes Glenn Thomas Martin as the firm's founder and principal broker, holder of CA DRE license #01250759, with over twenty years managing commercial property, lease negotiation, and project management on California's Central Coast before the firm expanded into a full-service residential and commercial brokerage across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties -- independently corroborating the "real estate broker" occupation and company name on his own FPPC filings. No dedicated 2026 mayoral campaign website was found for Martin, unlike Schuur's; this business site does not mention his candidacy.

Last updated September 2, 2026.