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City of Half Moon Bay · Statewide General Election

Half Moon Bay City Council, District 1

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 holds one of five district seats on Half Moon Bay's City Council: coastal land-use and development decisions, the city budget, and oversight of an appointed city manager. The council chooses its own Mayor and Vice Mayor each year rather than voters electing them directly. A 4-year term; the city has no term limits.

District 1's council seat pits eight-year incumbent Robert Brownstone, a former tech-company HR executive and 2025 Mayor, against David Gorn, the chair of the city's own Planning Commission.

Whoever wins takes one of five seats on Half Moon Bay's City Council: coastal land-use and development decisions, the city budget, and oversight of an appointed city manager. The council chooses its own Mayor and Vice Mayor each year rather than voters electing them directly. A 4-year term; the city has no term limits.

Brownstone is the only incumbent on the ballot in any of Half Moon Bay's three 2026 council races; the county's certified roster lists his ballot designation as "Incumbent." Gorn has never held elected office, but as Planning Commission chair he has already reviewed many of the coastal-development and housing applications a councilmember eventually votes on.

Robert Brownstone

Robert Brownstone has represented District 1 since November 2018 and served his colleagues as Vice Mayor in 2019 and Mayor in 2025. He spent his career in technology-company HR and organizational-effectiveness roles at Cisco, eBay, and Oracle, after earlier federal civil-rights and labor-compliance work and practicing employment discrimination law.

Strengths

Two full council terms, including a turn as Mayor, plus a private-sector HR/organizational-effectiveness career and earlier federal civil-rights enforcement work.

Trade-offs

Eight years in office is a record to run on, not just against, and no independent source found here evaluates that record specifically.

Keep in mind

No campaign site or independent 2026 profile of Brownstone was found beyond the city's own official biography and the county's certified candidate roster.

David Gorn

David Gorn chairs Half Moon Bay's Planning Commission, the appointed body that reviews the city's coastal-development and housing applications before they can reach the council. He is a first-time candidate for elected office; the county's certified roster lists his occupation as "Planning Commissioner Chair," and no further biography was found.

Strengths

Chairs the city's Planning Commission, the body that reviews coastal-development and housing applications before they reach the council he's now seeking to join.

Trade-offs

Has never held elected office; a Planning Commission seat is appointed by the council, not voted on citywide or by district.

Keep in mind

No campaign site, news coverage, or biography beyond his Planning Commission role and county ballot designation was found despite a genuine search.

Source review: Very strong (90/100) · 5 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • smcacre.gov (opens in a new tab)San Mateo County ACRE (Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections) -- Roster of Candidates, Qualified Candidates Only, November 3, 2026 General Election (CFMR009), dated 2026-08-25: the county's own certified candidate list, confirming both District 5 (Short Term) candidates and their ballot designations, and that Board of Education Trustee Area 2 is the only one of three expiring county trustee areas flagged 'On Ballot: Yes'
  • halfmoonbay.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Half Moon Bay -- "2026 City Council Qualified Candidates" page: the city's own list of qualified candidates by district (1, 4, 5), matching the county's certified roster name-for-name and confirming ballot order per the Secretary of State's August 13, 2026 randomized alphabet drawing
  • halfmoonbay.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Half Moon Bay -- "Half Moon Bay Election Districts" page: the city's 5-district by-district council election system, adopted 2018 with boundaries redrawn by a 2021 redistricting process; confirms Districts 1, 4, and 5 elect in November 2026 (Districts 2 and 3 next elect in 2028), 4-year council terms, and no term limits
  • halfmoonbay.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Half Moon Bay -- official council biography for Robert Brownstone: elected to the council in November 2018 representing District 1, a career in tech-company HR/organizational-effectiveness roles (Cisco, eBay, Oracle) after earlier federal civil-rights and labor-compliance work (EPA Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Dept. of Labor) and practicing employment discrimination law, and prior service as Vice Mayor (2019) and Mayor (2025)
  • halfmoonbay.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Half Moon Bay -- "Planning Commission" page: lists David Gorn as Chair, corroborating his county-certified ballot designation ("Planning Commissioner Chair") for the District 1 council race

Last updated September 1, 2026.