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City of Cloverdale · Statewide General Election

Cloverdale City Council

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 hold one of three at-large seats up this cycle on Cloverdale's 5-member City Council, elected to a 4-year term: the city budget, land use and zoning, and oversight of city staff for this Russian River-area Sonoma County city of 8,996 residents (2020 Census). Cloverdale is a general-law, council-manager city: a professional city manager runs day-to-day operations while the elected Council sets policy. The Council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor and another as Vice Mayor -- not separately elected offices, and no Cloverdale Mayor contest is on this ballot.

Nine candidates are running for three at-large seats on Cloverdale's City Council: appointed incumbent Andrés Marquez and elected incumbent Marjorie A Morgenstern, against seven challengers -- Chris Parker, Will Carter, Steve Kawa, Jenn Neylon, Kimberly Kern, Kelly Spagnola, and Colleen Shields. Vote for up to three -- no primary.

Council seats carry 4-year terms. Winners join two seats not up this cycle -- Vice Mayor Todd Lands and Councilmember Mark Laskey, whose terms don't expire until 2028 -- to complete Cloverdale's five-member City Council: the city budget, land use and zoning, and oversight of city staff for this Russian River-area Sonoma County city of 8,996 residents (2020 Census). Cloverdale is a general-law, council-manager city -- a professional city manager runs day-to-day operations while the elected Council sets policy -- and the Council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor and another as Vice Mayor each year, not separately elected offices. Sitting Mayor Brian Wheeler did not file to keep his own Council seat this cycle, so at least one of the three winners will be a first-time Cloverdale councilmember regardless of the outcome. This cycle's ballot also called for a City Treasurer seat, but zero candidates filed for it -- the county's own roster and the city's own resolution both confirm the position is vacant with no name to print, so no Treasurer contest appears on this ballot.

With two incumbents (one appointed, one elected) and seven challengers competing for three seats, the practical choice is which of the seven newcomers should join the board alongside -- or in place of -- the sitting members. Marquez is the only candidate to cite specific, checkable Council accomplishments in his own statement; Morgenstern, the longer-serving incumbent, filed no fresh statement this cycle, so her 2026 platform beyond her "Incumbent" ballot designation is not independently confirmed by this pass. Among the challengers, professional backgrounds range from public safety and school administration to small business and civic-club leadership; none has previously held a Cloverdale elected office. This dataset found no candidate forum coverage, comparative news profile, or independent evaluation of the field beyond the candidates' own filed statements and campaign materials -- consistent with the limited local-news footprint typical of a city this size.

Andrés Marquez

Andrés Marquez is the Council's appointed incumbent, seated in February 2025 and now seeking his first full 4-year term by election. His filed ballot designation is "Appointed Incumbent" -- he reached the seat by Council vote, not by winning an election, and this is his first time facing voters for it (he ran unsuccessfully for a different Council seat in 2024). His statement lists specific accomplishments since his appointment: $10,000 secured for the local Food Pantry, $75,000 coordinated to rehabilitate the Grange, an updated City Code of Conduct developed with staff and neighboring city managers, the "Home of the Eagles" community mural at Washington Gym, the city's first guided hike at Soda Springs, transitioning student outdoor-education programming into city open space, and Council authorization for a regional water resiliency partnership.

Strengths

The only candidate in the field to cite a specific, itemized list of Council-era accomplishments in his own words, giving voters concrete claims to check.

Trade-offs

As an appointed rather than elected incumbent, this is his first time facing voters for this seat -- this pass found no independent reporting verifying the figures his statement cites.

Keep in mind

He also ran for a Cloverdale Council seat in 2024 and lost, then was appointed to a different vacancy about four months later -- distinct from Morgenstern's path to the seat by direct election.

Marjorie A Morgenstern

Marjorie A Morgenstern is the Council's elected incumbent, first elected in 2022 and now seeking another term; her filed ballot designation is simply "Incumbent." She did not file a 2026 Statement of Qualification, so no fresh first-person statement of her current platform is available in this cycle's ballot materials. Her 2022 statement -- her most recent on file -- described goals of transparent and inclusive city government, stronger trust between the police department and the public, addressing the city's unsheltered population, and bringing urgent care services to Cloverdale; this dataset cites it only as background on the campaign that won her the seat, not as a claim about what she is running on in 2026.

Strengths

The longest currently-serving record in this field among the nine candidates, with a full term's worth of Council votes and public meetings a voter could review directly.

Trade-offs

Without a 2026 statement, this pass could not confirm whether her 2022 priorities (police-community trust, unsheltered services, urgent care) still stand -- less of her words than for others.

Keep in mind

Not filing a statement is a permitted, candidate-paid choice under Elections Code 13307, not a sign about her candidacy -- but it means her record, not fresh rhetoric, is what this cycle's voters have to go on.

Chris Parker

Chris Parker is a retired police chief and a challenger; his filed ballot designation is "Retired Police Chief." He did not file a 2026 Statement of Qualification, but his own campaign site states more than 28 years of leadership in public service, over 22 years living in Cloverdale, two children who attended the city's public schools, and involvement with Reach for Home, La Familia Sana, the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce. His stated priorities are public safety, fiscal management, support for local businesses, infrastructure investment, and thoughtful growth that protects the city's small-town character. His site does not name the department he led or when he served.

Strengths

Law-enforcement leadership experience directly relevant to public-safety questions, plus over two decades of Cloverdale residency and a broad slate of local civic-group involvement.

Trade-offs

Without a filed SOQ, voters using the printed county Voter Guide won't see his statement unless they find his campaign site; that site doesn't name his former department or rank either.

Keep in mind

His campaign material emphasizes broad, widely-shared themes (safety, fiscal responsibility, growth) rather than specific proposals this pass could evaluate against a record.

Will Carter

Will Carter is a local IT-service business owner and a challenger, the youngest candidate in the field at 31; his filed ballot designation is "Cloverdale Business Owner." His statement says his family moved to Cloverdale nearly 30 years ago and that he has since moved back with his wife to make the city their home, where he runs his business, volunteers, and plans to raise his own family. He currently serves as President of the Cloverdale Kiwanis Club, following earlier involvement with Key Club and Toastmasters, and states priorities of safe infrastructure, "rational growth," and keeping an open dialogue with residents.

Strengths

Deep, multi-generational family roots in Cloverdale combined with current leadership of a local service club (Kiwanis Club President), plus a small-business owner's stake in the city's economy.

Trade-offs

No prior appointed or elected city role is stated; his priorities are broad ideals ("rational growth," "open dialog") rather than specific positions this pass could compare against others.

Keep in mind

At 31, he is markedly younger than the rest of the field, which could shape how directly he represents a different generation of residents -- a point his statement itself doesn't address.

Steve Kawa

Steve Kawa is a challenger and owner of Steve Kawa Strategic Advising; his filed ballot designation is "Small Business Owner." His statement says his family has been part of the Cloverdale community for 19 years and that he currently serves on the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce Board. He describes more than 25 years working in California state and local government, including service in three separate San Francisco mayoral administrations and as Chief of Staff to two San Francisco mayors, and holds a law degree from Suffolk University. His stated priorities are public safety, fiscal responsibility, and keeping Cloverdale "safe, solvent, and successful."

Strengths

The most senior government-operations experience in the field by a wide margin -- decades inside big-city government up to a chief-of-staff level, plus a law degree, all earned outside Cloverdale.

Trade-offs

His career and senior roles were built in San Francisco city government, not Cloverdale; this pass found no prior Cloverdale civic-board role for him beyond his current Chamber board seat.

Keep in mind

19 years of Cloverdale residency is on the shorter end among this field's longer-tenured residents (Parker, Carter, and Shields each cite 22-30 years), worth weighing against his outside governing experience.

Jenn Neylon

Jenn Neylon is a challenger and Chief Operations Officer/Chief Business Officer for a Sonoma County school; her filed ballot designation is "Chief Business Officer." Her statement describes 28 years of leadership experience across public, private, non-profit, and educational settings, current oversight of a rural 20-acre school campus -- including facilities, utilities, solar, HVAC, fire-suppression systems, and a $4 million annual budget -- and board service on Reinsurance Captive for Stable Schools (ReCSS), an insurance entity established by the Redwood Empire Schools Insurance Group. She states more than 40 years living in Sonoma County, and priorities of fiscal transparency, community-driven development goals, and responsible growth that preserves Cloverdale's character.

Strengths

Direct, current experience managing a multimillion-dollar public-institution budget and physical infrastructure -- a close operational analog to running a small city's finances and public works.

Trade-offs

Her 40-plus years are framed as Sonoma County residency broadly, not Cloverdale specifically; this pass couldn't confirm how long she's lived there or find a prior Cloverdale civic role.

Keep in mind

Her base -- school-district operations and risk management -- differs from Kawa's government-relations background or Parker's public-safety leadership, worth weighing against the oversight the city needs.

Kimberly Kern

Kimberly Kern is a challenger and sitting Superintendent of the Pope Valley Union Elementary School District (TK-8) in neighboring Napa County; her filed ballot designation is "Public School Superintendent." Her statement says she previously served as Deputy County Superintendent at the Mendocino County Office of Education, supporting 12 districts, and earlier worked as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher; she holds an EdD in progress at Johns Hopkins University, a Stanford EdLEADers professional certificate, and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. She states experience leading schools through wildfire threats and large-scale operational and technology improvements, and describes priorities of guided, community-values-based growth and responsible stewardship of infrastructure and tax dollars.

Strengths

Extensive, current executive leadership -- a public institution's budget, safety planning, and operations at the superintendent level -- plus administrative background spanning two counties.

Trade-offs

Her employer, Pope Valley Union Elementary School District, sits outside Cloverdale and Sonoma County; her statement doesn't say how long she's lived there or describe prior local civic work.

Keep in mind

Like Neylon, her experience comes from school-system administration, not municipal government directly -- a different kind of record than Kawa's city-government background.

Colleen Shields

Colleen Shields is a challenger, a massage therapist and bookkeeper; her filed ballot designation is "Massage Therapist/Bookkeeper." Her brief statement says she has lived in Cloverdale for almost 30 years, previously served as a Board Member of the Santa Rosa Community Market, and works as Safety Committee Administrator at North Gate Ready Mix. She frames her candidacy around "defending and protecting" what she describes as Cloverdale's character while supporting "regulated, positive growth."

Strengths

Among the longest-tenured Cloverdale residents in the field (nearly 30 years), plus a current safety-committee role that touches workplace-safety governance.

Trade-offs

Her most substantial civic credential -- a Santa Rosa Community Market board seat -- is a Santa Rosa group, not Cloverdale; her short statement states no position beyond general growth caution.

Keep in mind

This dataset found no campaign website or independent news coverage of her candidacy beyond her filed statement and the county's roster entry.

Kelly Spagnola

Kelly Spagnola is a challenger; her filed ballot designation is "Community Volunteer," and she qualified for the ballot Aug. 6, 2026. She did not file a Statement of Qualification, and this dataset found no campaign website, social media presence, or local news coverage describing her background or platform. Her Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests reports no reportable investments, real property, income, or business positions.

Strengths

None independently confirmed by this pass beyond her filed candidacy and ballot designation -- this dataset does not speculate about volunteer work or community ties her own materials don't describe.

Trade-offs

Of the nine candidates, she has the thinnest public record available to voters: no statement, no campaign site, and no news coverage found this pass to compare against the other eight.

Keep in mind

This is a documented sourcing gap for this pass, not a claim that she lacks community involvement or a platform -- only that no independently verifiable source describing either was reachable.

Source review: Strong (87/100) · 13 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: Chris Parker -- own 2026 campaign site (parkerforcloverdale.com/about): states "more than 28 years of leadership in public service" as a retired police chief, over 22 years living in Cloverdale, two children who attended Cloverdale's public schools, and community involvement with Reach for Home, La Familia Sana, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce; states priorities of public safety, fiscal management, local business support, infrastructure investment, and thoughtful growth. Does not name his former police department or rank history. may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

  • sonomacounty.gov (opens in a new tab)Sonoma County Registrar of Voters -- "Local Candidates Who Have Filed," November 3, 2026 General Election: lists a City of Cloverdale section with City Council (Elect 3) -- nine qualified candidates with ballot designation, qualification date, and incumbent flag -- and City Treasurer (Elect 1), for which the page states it is "unaware of any candidates who have filed and qualified for this office." Page last updated 8/17/26, unchanged on a live re-check 2026-09-01 after both the regular (Aug. 7) and extended (Aug. 12) nomination deadlines had passed.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)City of Cloverdale -- Resolution No. 045-2026, adopted June 24, 2026, calling the General Municipal Election for "three (3) at-large members of the City Council" to 4-year terms and "the City Treasurer," stating the City Treasurer position "is currently vacant." Its signature block names the sitting Council as of adoption: Vice Mayor Todd Lands, Councilmembers Laskey, Marquez, and Morgenstern, with Mayor Wheeler marked absent -- a five-member Council with Mayor and Vice Mayor filled from among its own members.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)City of Cloverdale -- own "Candidate Resources" page: independently names the identical nine-candidate City Council field with matching ballot designations and qualification dates, confirms zero qualified candidates for City Treasurer, and lists two non-qualifiers -- Brian Wheeler (the sitting Mayor, "Did Not File") and Savanah Hemphill ("Did Not File") -- confirming Mayor Wheeler is not seeking to keep his own Council seat this cycle.
  • en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- "Cloverdale, California": used narrowly for the 2020 Census population (8,996) and the city's council-manager government structure; does not cover the 2026 election.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)City of Cloverdale -- own "Candidate Campaign Finances and Statements" page: links each 2026 Council candidate's Declaration of Candidacy, FPPC Form 501, and (for six of nine) an optional filed Statement of Qualification; its 2024-cycle rows show a posted Form 470 for then-candidate Todd Lands, but as of this live 2026-09-01 retrieval the 2026 candidates' campaign-finance rows remain marked "AVAILABLE AFTER NOMINATION PERIOD CLOSES" with no Form 460/470 yet posted for any of the nine.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Andrés Marquez -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification (amended), City of Cloverdale, occupation "Business Owner," age 49: states he was "appointed" to the Council "following my appointment in February 2025" and is seeking a full 4-year term, citing $10,000 secured for the Food Pantry, $75,000 to rehab the Grange, an updated City Code of Conduct, the "Home of the Eagles" mural at Washington Gym, the first guided hike at Soda Springs, transitioning student outdoor-education programming, and Council authorization for a regional water resiliency partnership.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Steve Kawa -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification, City of Cloverdale, occupation "Owner of Steve Kawa Strategic Advising," age 64: states 19 years as a Cloverdale resident, current membership on the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce Board, over 25 years in California state and local government including service in three San Francisco mayoral administrations and as Chief of Staff to two mayors, and a law degree from Suffolk University.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Will Carter -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification (revised), City of Cloverdale, occupation "Local Business Owner/IT Service Provider," age 31: states his family moved to Cloverdale nearly 30 years ago, that he moved back with his wife to make it their home, runs a local business there, and serves as President of the Cloverdale Kiwanis Club after earlier involvement with Key Club and Toastmasters.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Jenn Neylon -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification, City of Cloverdale, occupation "Chief Operations Officer and Chief Business Officer," age 53: states 28 years of public, private, non-profit, and educational leadership experience, current oversight of a rural 20-acre Sonoma County school campus and its $4 million annual budget, board service on Reinsurance Captive for Stable Schools (ReCSS), and over 40 years living in Sonoma County.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Kimberly Kern -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification, City of Cloverdale, occupation "Public School Superintendent," age 58: states she currently serves as Superintendent of the Pope Valley Union Elementary School District (TK-8), previously served as Deputy County Superintendent at the Mendocino County Office of Education supporting 12 districts, and holds an EdD in progress at Johns Hopkins University, a Stanford EdLEADers professional certificate, and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Colleen Shields -- filed 2026 Statement of Qualification, City of Cloverdale, occupation "Massage Therapist/Bookkeeper," age 69: states roughly 30 years as a Cloverdale resident, past board membership with the Santa Rosa Community Market, and service as Safety Committee Administrator at North Gate Ready Mix.
  • cloverdale.net (opens in a new tab)Marjorie Ann Morgenstern -- filed 2022 Statement of Qualification, City of Cloverdale, occupation "Retired," age 68 at filing: her most recent filed statement (she filed none in 2026); states her goal to "serve the individuals, families, small businesses & congregations" of Cloverdale, priorities of transparent and inclusive government, trust between police and the public, addressing the unsheltered population, and bringing urgent care to Cloverdale. Cited only for background on her prior, election-winning campaign -- not as a 2026 claim.
  • parkerforcloverdale.com (opens in a new tab)Chris Parker -- own 2026 campaign site (parkerforcloverdale.com/about): states "more than 28 years of leadership in public service" as a retired police chief, over 22 years living in Cloverdale, two children who attended Cloverdale's public schools, and community involvement with Reach for Home, La Familia Sana, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce; states priorities of public safety, fiscal management, local business support, infrastructure investment, and thoughtful growth. Does not name his former police department or rank history.

Last updated September 1, 2026.