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Berkeley City Council, District 1

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City of Berkeley

Berkeley City Council, District 1

This person would hold one of eight district seats on the Berkeley City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Berkeley is an Alameda County city of about 124,000 people. The term is four years. Half the Council's district seats are elected on the presidential cycle. Those are Districts 2, 3, 5, and 6. This seat is elected on the same cycle as the Governor. The Auditor is elected on that cycle too. The seat is decided by ranked choice voting.

Five candidates are running for Berkeley's open District 1 seat. Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani is stepping down after two terms. It is the most crowded council race this year.

This person would hold one of eight district seats on the Berkeley City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use in this Alameda County city of about 124,000, for a 4-year term. Half the Council's district seats (2, 3, 5, 6) are elected on the presidential cycle; District 1 is elected, along with the Auditor and Districts 4, 7, and 8, on the same cycle as the Governor.

This election is decided by ranked-choice voting: you may rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate has a majority of first choices, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots count for their next choice, repeating until one candidate has a majority.

Laura Babitt

Laura Babitt is a former member of the Berkeley Unified school board. She served as vice president there, and her ballot title is Auditor and Operations Director. The school board's president, Ka'Dijah Brown, has praised her "hands-on experience as an educator."

Ross Bernet

Ross Bernet is a senior program manager at Microsoft, working on carbon removal. Their ballot title is Environmental Program Manager. Their campaign raised $4,449 in the first half of 2026, the second most in the race.

Moni Gangopadhyay

Moni Gangopadhyay works as a policy coordinator for energy efficiency at the California Public Utilities Commission. Their ballot title is Consumer Protection Investigator. Their campaign raised $3,307, including $500 nonmonetary, and spent $2,163 in the first half of 2026.

Steve Kromer

Steve Kromer works as an energy efficiency consultant. Their ballot title is Energy Efficiency Engineer. No 2026 campaign committee was found for them under that name.

Daria Wrubel

Daria Wrubel is a child and young adult therapist in Albany. Their ballot title is Youth Therapist, and their business is Grounded Therapy. Their campaign raised just $120 and spent nothing in the first half of 2026.

Your pick

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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