Skip to main content

Gilroy City Council, District 6

This is a sample · See your full ballot

✕

City of Gilroy

Gilroy City Council, District 6

This person would hold your district's seat on Gilroy's City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Gilroy is a Santa Clara County city of about 59,500 people. The Mayor, Greg Bozzo, is elected separately and is not on this ballot. Five other members are elected by district. The term is four years. This is Gilroy's first district-based council election. Districts 1, 2, 3 and the Mayor's seat are up in 2028.

Three candidates are running for Gilroy's District 6 City Council seat. They are Rebeca Armendariz, Brad Starks, and Elizabeth Bracco. None currently holds the seat, though Armendariz represented the area before.

The winner serves a four-year term on Gilroy's seven-member City Council (six district members plus a separately, at-large elected Mayor). They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use in this Santa Clara County city of about 59,500. This is Gilroy's first-ever district council election -- the city adopted its six-district map (Map F) in May 2025 after a California Voting Rights Act legal notice, moving off a fully at-large council. Districts 1, 2, 3, and the Mayor's seat aren't up until 2028.

The area's outgoing councilmember, Dion Bracco, is retiring after 21 years, telling the Gilroy Dispatch, 'I think it's my turn to step aside. I think it's time for a younger generation to step up and take over.' He is not a candidate here, but Elizabeth Bracco -- one of the three candidates for the seat -- is his daughter, per the Dispatch's independent reporting. Rebeca Armendariz previously held this seat (2020-2024) and is running to return to it; Brad Starks has no prior elected-office record.

Rebeca Armendariz

Rebeca Armendariz is a fourth generation Gilroyan. She represented the east side of Gilroy on the City Council from 2020 to 2024. That area is now District 6. This is according to her own filed candidate statement. The Gilroy Dispatch also independently describes her as a former councilmember. Her own campaign site's homepage says she is "currently serving" and "seeking reelection." That conflicts with both other accounts. She co-founded Gilroy Growing Smarter. It advocates for responsible housing, so younger residents and longtime families can afford to stay. She also works with CARAS on youth life skills and leadership programs. Her stated priorities are investing in district infrastructure, such as street lighting and landscaping. They also include pedestrian and traffic safety, responsible housing growth, and youth and community engagement.

Brad Starks

Brad Starks works in corporate marketing. Starks is raising two children, Cooper and Casey, in Gilroy. Their wife Nirza is an elementary school teacher. They are a first time candidate for elected office. Their stated priorities are listening and collaborative leadership, and transparency and accountability. They also include safe neighborhoods and strong local businesses. They also list quality city services and opportunity for every family. No campaign website or independent news coverage of them was found beyond their filed statement.

Elizabeth Bracco

Elizabeth Bracco is a fourth generation Gilroyan. The Gilroy Dispatch reports they are the daughter of retiring 21 year Councilmember Dion Bracco. Their own filed statement does not mention that relationship. They recently completed an undergraduate degree in Public Policy in Sacramento. They describe themselves as a young professional. They say they have networked with the city's past and current elected and appointed leaders. They have also volunteered with National Night Out and Youth Taskforce events. Their stated priorities are bringing a business informed, generationally minded perspective to the council. They also want to represent younger residents and build trust through common sense decisions. No campaign website was found for them.

Your pick

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

This is one race on your ballot. Vote or Else shows every contest you will vote on — Congress, the Legislature, your county, city, and school board — each broken down the same way. Enter your address to see your full ballot.