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Santa Barbara City Council, District 6

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City of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City Council, District 6

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 6. That district covers Downtown. They are Jason Carlton, Gabe Escobedo, Anabella Lehne, and Alexander Stoeber. Voters pick one, with no primary and no runoff.

District 6'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, Meagan Harmon, is not running for re-election; local reporting confirms she is instead endorsing one of this race's candidates, Gabe Escobedo, for her own seat, though this pass found no stated reason for her own decision not to run.

Local reporting names Escobedo the leading Democratic candidate and Stoeber, running as an independent, Escobedo's top challenger; Lehne and Carlton round out the field. The clearest policy contrast is over housing: Escobedo emphasizes affordable-housing programs and preserving public space, while Stoeber and Lehne both frame their platforms around increasing housing supply through zoning and looser development rules rather than added regulation.

Gabe Escobedo

Gabe Escobedo is a former school district board president. They are also a former Planning Commission chair. Local coverage calls them "a fixture in local politics." They run on affordable housing, support for small businesses, and preserving public spaces. The Santa Barbara County Democratic Party endorses them. So does outgoing District 6 Councilmember Meagan Harmon.

Alexander Stoeber

Alexander Stoeber is a real estate advisor. They are running as an independent. Local coverage calls them Escobedo's top challenger. They want to add housing by changing zoning and development rules. They doubt that rent stabilization helps affordability.

Anabella Lehne

Anabella Lehne is a notary public. They are a former escrow assistant for Fidelity National Title. They run on making housing easier to build. They would do that instead of adding new rules.

Jason Carlton

Jason Carlton is a union member. They are president of Carlton Electrical Construction. They run on making sure that "residents, businesses, and workers are supported by our city."

Your pick

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

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