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East Palo Alto City Council

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City of East Palo Alto

East Palo Alto City Council

This person would hold one of two at-large seats up this cycle. The seats are on East Palo Alto's City Council. The council has five members. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. East Palo Alto has about 30,000 residents on the San Francisco Bay. The term is four years. Each December, the council chooses one of its own members to serve as Mayor. That person also serves as Vice Mayor. Voters do not elect either office directly.

Two of East Palo Alto's five at-large City Council seats are on the November 3 ballot. Vice Mayor Ruben Abrica is seeking another term. Councilmember Martha Barragan is not running again, leaving her seat open. Seven candidates are competing for the two seats. They are Abrica, Holifa Windom, Gail Wilk Dixon, Sam Jimenez, Ofelia Bello, Deborah Lewis-Virges, and Michael Mashack.

Whoever wins joins a five-member council that sets the budget, land-use and zoning decisions, and city ordinances for a roughly 30,000-resident city on the San Francisco Bay, bordered by Palo Alto and Menlo Park. All five seats are elected at-large -- citywide, not by geographic district -- to staggered 4-year terms. The council doesn't elect its own Mayor or Vice Mayor directly: each December, members choose one of their own to hold each title for the coming year, presiding over meetings but casting only one vote like every other member. The city's current Mayor, Webster Lincoln, and Councilmembers Mark Dinan and Carlos Romero each hold one of the three seats not up this cycle.

Because two seats are open, voters can back one candidate or two; the two highest vote-getters win outright, with no runoff. Abrica is the only sitting officeholder in the field and the race's clearest continuity candidate -- they were part of the movement that incorporated East Palo Alto as a city in 1983 and became its first Latino Mayor in 2006. The other six are all newcomers to city office, though three (Bello, Lewis-Virges, and Mashack) currently serve on East Palo Alto boards or commissions short of the City Council itself.

Ruben Abrica

Ruben Abrica is East Palo Alto's Vice Mayor, appointed in December 2025. They run on transparent government, more affordable housing, community policing, and infrastructure. Abrica served on the city's first council. They became its first Latino Mayor in 2006.

Holifa Windom

Holifa Windom is a businesswoman, born and raised in East Palo Alto. Their parents are Tongan immigrants, and they say they are a veteran. They hold degrees in political science and business management. They want to fix the city's aging water system and flood defenses first. Housing and development would come after that.

Gail Wilk Dixon

Gail Wilk Dixon is a businesswoman who has owned restaurants and run a tax practice. Their ballot title reflects 45 years of legal document work. They trained as a legal researcher and investigator. They want to bring a mainstream supermarket to East Palo Alto. They would also end no-bid city contracts.

Sam Jimenez

Sam Jimenez owns a small plumbing business. By their own account, they are a decorated Green Beret veteran. They are a lifelong East Palo Alto resident, husband, father, and homeowner. They are the son of an immigrant from Michoacan, Mexico. They welcome development that benefits current residents. They also back youth apprenticeships and career training.

Ofelia Bello

Ofelia Bello is a 33-year-old nonprofit executive director. They were born and raised in East Palo Alto. They hold a master's degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy. They lead the Pahali Community Land Trust. They run on affordable housing, renters' rights, and equitable development.

Deborah Lewis-Virges

Deborah Lewis-Virges is a pastor and community advocate. She is lead pastor of Saint Mark Church in East Palo Alto. She chairs the city's Sanitary District board. She serves on the Community Safety and Community Climate Change teams. She runs on affordable housing, responsible development, traffic and parking, and climate resilience.

Michael Mashack

Michael Mashack is East Palo Alto's Planning Commissioner. Their family has called the city home for more than sixty years. They grew up and raised their own children there. They run on housing, homeownership, local business, public safety, and youth.

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

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