# Pittsburg City Council Compare records and positions simply between Arlene Kobata, C.C. Cardinalli-Macaluso, Wolf Croskey, and 8 more for Pittsburg City Council at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. This person holds one of three at-large seats up this cycle on Pittsburg's City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Pittsburg does not directly elect a Mayor -- the council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor each year on a rotating basis, and day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager. The term is four years. - Jurisdiction: City of Pittsburg - Election: November 3, 2026 California general election - Seats: 3 - Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements. - Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/pittsburg-council - Full ballot: this page covers one race. Every contest on a voter's own ballot, by address, with the same breakdown for each: https://voteorelse.com/ - Sources last retrieved: September 7, 2026 - Source-objectivity score: 86 out of 100 (Strong), across 6 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology ## On the ballot - **Arlene Kobata** — Appointed Incumbent · Incumbent - **C.C. Cardinalli-Macaluso** — Mother - **Wolf Croskey** — Small Business Owner - **Amhari Perkins** — Homemaker - **Pauline Johnson** - **Dionne Adams** — Diversity Executive/Councilmember · Incumbent - **Mark Linde** - **Alvin Nelson** — Business Leader - **Sonja Shephard** — Environmental Activist - **Carolynne Born** — Small Business Owner - **Iztaccuauhtli Hector Gonzalez** — Businessman/Realtor A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot. Eleven candidates are running for three at-large seats on Pittsburg's City Council. Incumbents Dionne Adams and Arlene Kobata are both seeking re-election; the third seat, held by Angelica Lopez, is open -- Lopez did not file for re-election. Pittsburg's City Council sets city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions for the city, with day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager. Pittsburg does not directly elect a Mayor: the council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor each year on a rotating basis, so a vote for Council is the only way to influence who eventually holds that title. The top three vote-getters win, in a single November election with no primary -- there is no runoff. Both incumbent Council members' filed ballot designations reflect their current status: Adams as "Diversity Executive/Councilmember," and Kobata as "Appointed Incumbent," a status the county's own records tie to Kobata's having reached the seat by council appointment to a vacancy rather than a prior election win. ## Dionne Adams An incumbent Councilmember first elected in November 2022; Adams's filed ballot designation is "Diversity Executive/Councilmember." As a sitting Councilmember, they voted "aye" on the April 17, 2023 Faria/Southwest Hills Annexation Project master plan -- a 1,500-home, 341-acre development -- a vote later highlighted in a 2024 election-season mailer from the conservation group Save Mount Diablo. This dataset found no further biographical detail or 2026-specific platform coverage beyond that record and their county-filed designation. **Strengths:** A full term already on the Council, so voters have an actual voting record -- including the Faria project vote -- to weigh, not just a designation. **Trade-offs:** This dataset found no independent (non-official, non-campaign-finance) reporting evaluating Adams's first term as a whole, only the single documented Faria vote. **Keep in mind:** No 2026 campaign-finance figures were found for their campaign in this pass -- see the financial note below. ## Arlene Kobata An incumbent Councilmember whose filed ballot designation is "Appointed Incumbent"; the county's own records list Kobata among the seats' incumbents as having reached the Council by appointment to a vacancy rather than by winning an election outright. This dataset found no further biographical detail, appointment date, or 2026-specific platform coverage beyond that designation. **Strengths:** not established beyond Kobata's current appointed incumbency in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** unlike Adams, they have not yet won a Pittsburg election outright -- their time on the Council so far came via appointment, not a vote. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further on their appointment or record beyond the county's own filed designation. ## Sonja Shephard A repeat candidate; Shephard's filed ballot designation is "Environmental Activist." They also ran for one of Pittsburg's three Council seats in 2022, without winning a seat that cycle. Beyond their self-declared occupation and that prior run, this dataset found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail. **Strengths:** A second run gives some sense of sustained interest in the seat, though not of any change in Shephard's standing since 2022. **Trade-offs:** Their 2022 run did not win a seat, and this dataset found no reporting explaining why or what, if anything, has changed for this campaign. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing beyond their name, occupation, and 2022 candidacy. ## Wolf Croskey A repeat candidate; Croskey's filed ballot designation is "Small Business Owner." They also ran (as "Wolfgang Croskey" in East County Today's contemporaneous coverage) for one of Pittsburg's three Council seats in 2022, qualifying only after that cycle's nomination-period extension, without winning a seat. Beyond their self-declared occupation and that prior run, this dataset found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail. **Strengths:** A second run gives some sense of sustained interest in the seat, though not of any change in Croskey's standing since 2022. **Trade-offs:** Their 2022 run did not win a seat, and this dataset found no reporting explaining why or what, if anything, has changed for this campaign. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing beyond their name, occupation, and 2022 candidacy. ## Amhari Perkins A first-time candidate; Perkins's filed ballot designation is "Homemaker." This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail beyond that self-declared occupation. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record beyond filed paperwork, voters have little beyond their name, self-declared occupation, and ballot qualification. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report. ## C.C. Cardinalli-Macaluso A first-time candidate; Cardinalli-Macaluso's filed ballot designation is "Mother." This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail beyond that self-declared designation. Their qualification date (Aug. 12, 2026) is the latest of any candidate in this race, at the close of the extended nomination period. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record beyond filed paperwork, voters have little beyond their name, self-declared designation, and ballot qualification. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report, and their late qualification date left little visible campaign runway before this dataset's retrieval. ## Pauline Johnson A first-time candidate with no filed ballot designation. This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or biographical detail of any kind beyond Johnson's name. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record and no ballot designation at all, voters have essentially only Johnson's name and the fact that Johnson qualified for the ballot to go on. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report. ## Mark Linde A first-time candidate with no filed ballot designation. This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or biographical detail of any kind beyond Linde's name. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record and no ballot designation at all, voters have essentially only Linde's name and the fact that Linde qualified for the ballot to go on. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report. ## Alvin Nelson A first-time candidate; Nelson's filed ballot designation is "Business Leader." This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail beyond that self-declared occupation. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record beyond filed paperwork, voters have little beyond their name, self-declared occupation, and ballot qualification. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report. ## Carolynne Born A first-time candidate; Born's filed ballot designation is "Small Business Owner." This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail beyond that self-declared occupation. Their qualification date (Aug. 12, 2026) is tied for the latest of any candidate in this race, at the close of the extended nomination period. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record beyond filed paperwork, voters have little beyond their name, self-declared occupation, and ballot qualification. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report, and their late qualification date left little visible campaign runway before this dataset's retrieval. ## Iztaccuauhtli Hector Gonzalez A first-time candidate; Gonzalez's filed ballot designation is "Businessman/Realtor." This dataset searched the city's own site, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, local news coverage, and general web search and found no campaign website, news coverage, or further biographical detail beyond that self-declared occupation. **Strengths:** not established in the sourcing found for this race. **Trade-offs:** as a first-time candidate with no located public record beyond filed paperwork, voters have little beyond their name, self-declared occupation, and ballot qualification. **Keep in mind:** this is a documented sourcing gap, not evidence against them -- a real, multi-method search turned up nothing further to report. ## Sources 1. [Contra Costa County Elections Division -- "Contest/Candidate Proof List" (8-27-26_candidatelist_detail_final.pdf), the county's post-filing-deadline, final export: shows all three City of Pittsburg contests as ON BALLOT with each qualified filer's ballot designation, incumbency, and qualification date -- Member, City Council (vote for 3 of 11 qualified filers, flagged as extended), City Clerk (vote for 1 of 4, flagged as extended), and City Treasurer (vote for 1 of 1, not extended)](https://www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/8-27-26_candidatelist_detail_final.pdf) 2. [Contra Costa County Elections Division -- "Positions Up for Election, November 3, 2026, General Election": lists the City of Pittsburg's only three offices this cycle as City Clerk, City Treasurer, and 3 Councilmembers -- no Mayor line item appears, confirming the office is not directly elected](https://www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/26Nov03_PositionsUpForElection.pdf) 3. [City of Pittsburg -- City Clerk "Elections" page (read via a dated Internet Archive snapshot after pittsburgca.gov returned HTTP 403 to every direct fetch attempt in this pass, including a retry with full browser headers): confirms the Nov. 3, 2026 General Municipal Election fills three City Council seats plus one City Treasurer and one City Clerk seat, each a 4-year term, with successful candidates sworn in at a December 2026 Council meeting; as retrieved (May 2026, before the Aug. 7 filing deadline) the page's own 2026 candidate materials were not yet posted](https://www.pittsburgca.gov/services/city-clerk/elections) 4. [Contra Costa Herald -- "Pittsburg Mayor Announces Campaign for District 5 Supervisor if Incumbent Glover Doesn't Run for Re-Election" (Aug. 4, 2023): profiles then-Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston and describes Pittsburg's Mayor as "a position rotated annually among council members" -- independent confirmation that Pittsburg's Mayor is chosen by the council, not directly elected](https://www.contracostaherald.com/pittsburg-mayor-announces-campaign-for-district-5-supervisor-if-incumbent-glover-doesnt-run-for-re-election/) 5. [Contra Costa Herald -- "During Election Season, Save Mt. Diablo Sends Mailer Showing 10-Month-Old Votes by Pittsburg Councilmembers": reports that sitting Councilmember Dionne Adams voted "aye" on the April 17, 2023 Faria/Southwest Hills Annexation Project master plan (1,500 homes on 341 acres), alongside then-Mayor Shanelle Preston-Scales, Jelani Killings, and Angelica Lopez -- independent confirmation of Adams's sitting-councilmember status and a real vote in her record](https://www.contracostaherald.com/during-election-season-save-mt-diablo-sends-mailer-showing-10-month-old-votes-by-pittsburg-councilmembers/) 6. [East County Today -- "Five Candidates Now Running for Pittsburg City Council" (Aug. 18, 2022) and "Pittsburg City Council Candidate Nomination Period Extended" (Aug. 12, 2022): names the 2022 Council field as incumbent Shanelle Scales-Preston, Sonja Shephard, Dionne Adams, Wolfgang Croskey, and Angelica Lopez -- independent confirmation that Shephard, Adams, and Croskey are each repeat 2026 candidates (Adams having won that cycle) and that Pittsburg's nomination period was extended in 2022 for the same reason (an incumbent not re-filing) documented again for 2026](https://www.eastcountytoday.net/five-candidates-now-running-for-pittsburg-city-council/) ## The rest of the ballot Pittsburg City Council is one contest among the many a California voter decides on November 3, 2026 — Congress, the Legislature, county, city, and school board races differ by address. Vote or Else builds the full list for any California address and breaks down each contest the way this page does, with no account and without storing the address: https://voteorelse.com/ ## How to cite this page Vote or Else, "Pittsburg City Council — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/pittsburg-council (sources last retrieved September 7, 2026). Link the canonical page above rather than this Markdown file. Coverage is updated as the race develops, so quote it with its retrieval date.