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Santa Barbara City Council, District 4

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City of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City Council, District 4

This person would represent one of Santa Barbara's six council districts. They vote on the budget, land use, and ordinances. Santa Barbara is a Santa Barbara County city of about 88,700 residents. The term is four years. The Mayor is elected separately, citywide. The council does not choose the Mayor from among its own members.

Four candidates are running for Santa Barbara City Council District 4. This district covers the Upper Eastside, Riviera, and the foothills. The candidates are Jason Dominguez, Genevieve Taft-Vazquez, Devon Wardlow, and Monte Wilson. Voters pick one, with no primary or runoff.

District 4's seat is one of six district Council seats on Santa Barbara's council-manager government -- the budget, land use, and city ordinances for this Santa Barbara County city of about 88,700 residents -- alongside a separately, citywide-elected Mayor. It's a 4-year term. The seat is open because its sitting Councilmember, Kristen Sneddon, is running for Mayor instead of re-election, on the same ballot as this race.

The field splits on the city's central flashpoints -- rent stabilization and whether State Street reopens to cars. Wardlow, endorsed by the county Democratic Party, supports rent stabilization and keeping State Street car-free; Wilson, running as an independent, calls rent stabilization punitive and favors reopening the street; Dominguez, a self-described centrist and former Councilmember for a different district, is courting independent voters skeptical of both parties; Taft-Vazquez frames her campaign around bringing outside professional experience rather than aligning with either camp.

Devon Wardlow

Devon Wardlow is a City Planning Commissioner. They graduated from Santa Barbara High School and UCSB. They support affordable housing and protections for vulnerable people and places. They back the city's rent-stabilization rule and want State Street to stay closed to cars. They are endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party.

Jason Dominguez

Jason Dominguez is an attorney and a registered Democrat. He calls himself a centrist. He served on the City Council for District 1 from 2015 to 2019. He lost his 2019 re-election bid by eight votes. He is now running in District 4. He is targeting independent voters who he says are unhappy with party politics.

Monte Wilson

Monte Wilson is a former software executive running as an independent. He calls rent stabilization a punitive policy. He favors building housing quickly. He supports reopening State Street to cars. He frames his campaign around fiscal responsibility and "common sense" policies.

Genevieve Taft-Vazquez

Genevieve Taft-Vazquez is a corporate consultant. She has degrees from Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins. She returned to Santa Barbara six years ago after living elsewhere. She serves on the city's Neighborhood Advisory Council. She frames her candidacy around bringing a new perspective and balance to city leadership.

Your pick

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

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