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City of Tiburon · Statewide General Election

Tiburon Town Council

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 would hold one of three seats up this cycle on Tiburon's 5-member Town Council, elected entirely at-large (no districts) to a 4-year term, through November 2030. Tiburon, a Marin County town of about 9,146 residents (2020 Census) on the Tiburon Peninsula, incorporated in 1964 as a general law city and runs under a council-manager government. The Council chooses a Mayor from among its own members each December rather than electing the position directly -- an honorary role that rotates annually and carries no extra vote.

Five candidates are running for three seats on Tiburon's Town Council: incumbents Alice Fredericks and Jack Ryan, and challengers Kathleen Defever, Chuck Hornbrook, and Faris Jafar. The top three vote-getters win outright, with no runoff.

Whoever wins joins a five-member Council that sets the budget, land-use and zoning decisions, and town ordinances for Tiburon, a Marin County town of about 9,146 residents (2020 Census) on the Tiburon Peninsula, incorporated in 1964 as a general law city under a council-manager government. All five seats are elected at-large (not by district) to staggered 4-year terms; the Council doesn't elect its Mayor directly -- members choose one of their own to serve as Mayor each December, an honorary role that rotates annually and carries no extra vote. The other two current councilmembers, Vice Mayor Isaac Nikfar and Holli Thier, are not up this cycle.

The three open seats are those of Mayor Jon Welner, Alice Fredericks, and Jack Ryan, whose terms all end this November. Welner chose not to seek a third term, which extended the filing deadline five days (to Aug. 12) and let Kathleen Defever file on the last day. Former Mayor Andrew Thompson, who served 1992-2003, also pulled nomination papers during the extension but ultimately did not file, so he is not on the ballot.

Kathleen Defever

Kathleen Defever is an attorney and Tiburon Planning Commissioner, appointed in 2018 and now in her eighth year on the commission, making her first run for Town Council. She holds a B.A. and J.D. from DePaul University and an LL.M. from the University of Connecticut, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in international insurance law; she runs a law practice and an advisory firm, MisInsured, representing insurance consumers. She has served six years as president of the Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere and four years on the board of Farley Place, an affordable senior community serving Tiburon and Belvedere. In her candidate statement, she names reducing the local impact of state housing mandates, easing traffic on Tiburon Boulevard, improving the town Building Division's efficiency, wildfire safety -- she represents wildfire victims in her practice and led her neighborhood to Firewise USA certification -- and preserving open space, parks, and the arts as her priorities.

Strengths

Eight years of direct land-use experience on the Planning Commission, plus a legal background and a long local civic record (Rotary Club presidency, Farley Place board).

Trade-offs

No prior elected office, and no independent news coverage or working campaign site was found this pass -- her filed statement is the fullest record of her candidacy.

Keep in mind

She filed on the final day of an extended deadline, one of three challengers competing for a seat an incumbent chose not to seek.

Alice Fredericks

Alice Fredericks is a Tiburon councilmember first elected in 2001, seeking what The Ark has called "an unprecedented seventh term." She holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Medicine and a law degree, has worked as a UCSF research scientist, and is an inactive member of the State Bar. Before her council tenure she served on the Tiburon Planning Commission, the Transportation Authority of Marin Commission, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District board, and the League of California Cities board of directors; she currently chairs Marin County's own Council of Mayors and Councilmembers' Legislative Committee. In her candidate statement, she names traffic congestion relief, recreational amenities, and mitigating flooding, sea level rise, and climate change as her priorities, along with maximizing grant funding and opposing state legislation that, in her words, "exceeds resources including road capacity and water availability."

Strengths

25 years on the Council -- the longest tenure of any candidate in the race -- plus a current regional role chairing Marin's own Council of Mayors and Councilmembers Legislative Committee.

Trade-offs

As the longest-serving incumbent, her record is also the most exposed to scrutiny, and no independent news coverage beyond the roundup articles confirming her candidacy was found.

Keep in mind

She is one of two incumbents in a 5-candidate field for 3 seats -- a seventh term is not automatic.

Chuck Hornbrook

Chuck Hornbrook is a business advisor and the Tiburon Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission's immediate past chair, making his first run for Town Council after nine years as a Tiburon resident. He holds an MBA and MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and a BA from Hobart College, chairs the board of Slide Ranch (an environmental-education nonprofit), and has advised the Golden Gate Ferry, the Transportation Authority of Marin, Zero Waste Marin, and Safe Routes to Schools. In his candidate statement, he credits himself with helping shape the Tiburon Parks Plan, writing the town's policy limiting pesticide use in parks and playgrounds, aligning ferry departure times with Reed Union School District drop-offs, and working on Marin County open-space preservation; his platform centers on safety, fiscal responsibility, and what he calls "collaborative, accountable" governance. His campaign committee, Hornbrook 4 Tiburon Town Council 2026, was formed in early August 2026.

Strengths

Direct town committee experience as the parks commission's past chair, plus the only campaign in the race with both a developed personal website and a formally organized campaign committee.

Trade-offs

No prior elected office; his platform and biography come mostly from his own statement and campaign site rather than independent reporting.

Keep in mind

The most actively organized non-incumbent campaign in the field, which may reflect a more resourced run rather than a stronger candidacy on its own.

Faris Jafar

Faris Jafar is the founder of an investment firm, making his first run for Tiburon Town Council. In his candidate statement, he describes himself as a husband and father of three young children and frames his candidacy around applying the fiduciary duty he says guides his firm -- putting others' interests first -- to town government. His stated platform includes open and transparent government, audited financial statements, reinvesting new revenue in services and infrastructure while providing tax relief, easing regulatory friction on homeowners, closer coordination between the town and Reed Union School District, traffic and emergency-safety planning, and investment in parks and trails.

Strengths

A stated professional background in fiduciary financial management, which he frames as directly relevant to town budget oversight.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed local office mentioned in his own statement, and no independent news coverage or campaign website was found this pass to corroborate or expand on it.

Keep in mind

His statement leans on general governance themes -- transparency, fiscal audits, tax relief -- rather than the specific committee history the other four candidates each cite.

Jack Ryan

Jack Ryan is a Tiburon councilmember first elected in March 2020, seeking a second term. Before retiring, he was Head of Equity and Commodity Derivatives Trading at Wells Fargo; he holds a degree in aeronautical engineering from MIT. A 16-year Tiburon resident, he served as Mayor in 2023 and currently sits on the Richardson Bay Regional Agency board, the town's DEI Task Force, and the Tiburon Peninsula Traffic Relief joint powers authority. His community record includes work on the Yellow Bus Challenge and neighborhood utility undergrounding, the presidency of the Belvedere Tennis Club, and coaching youth lacrosse and volleyball. In his candidate statement, he names family-friendly initiatives, protecting open space and improving parks, and implementing state mandates "in a way that best preserves Tiburon's character" as his priorities.

Strengths

A completed term including a Mayor rotation, plus current seats on a regional agency board and the town's own traffic-relief JPA -- direct continuity on transportation, a recurring theme in the race.

Trade-offs

As an incumbent, his record is open to the same scrutiny as Fredericks's; no independent coverage beyond the roundup articles confirming his candidacy was found.

Keep in mind

He is one of two incumbents in a 5-candidate field for 3 seats -- a second term is not automatic.

Source review: Strong (86/100) · 19 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context.

  • marincounty.gov (opens in a new tab)Marin County Elections Department -- official "Status of local candidates for office 11/03/26" page: a table of contents of every county-administered and city/town contest in the county, listing "Town of Tiburon Member Town Council" as a verified, filed contest -- no candidate names appear on this page, only the office title, and no separately elected Clerk or Treasurer is listed for Tiburon. Retrieved via a Chrome browser workaround in a prior session (2026-08-29).
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Town of Tiburon -- official "November 3, 2026 General Election" page: states three full-term Town Council seats are up (4-year terms, through November 2030); nomination filing deadline Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 (extended from Aug. 7). Names five qualified candidates with exact qualification dates -- Alice Fredericks (7/29), Jack Ryan (7/29), Chuck Hornbrook (7/31), Faris Jafar (8/3), Kathleen Defever (8/12) -- and two non-qualified filers who never converted papers to a filed candidacy, Jon Welner and Andrew Thompson. Links each candidate's filed candidate statement and FPPC Form 501/410 by document.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Town of Tiburon -- "Elections & Voter Information" page: states "3 full-term seats" are up this November, candidate eligibility requirements, and Town Clerk Lea Dilena's contact information for prospective candidates.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Town of Tiburon -- "Town Council" page: "The five members of the Town Council are elected for staggered, four-year terms in even-numbered years" and "The Town Council appoints one of its members to be Mayor during the December Town Council meeting. It is an honorary position that is rotated each year." Lists the current roster: Mayor Jon Welner (term ends 11/2026), Vice Mayor Isaac Nikfar (11/2028), Alice Fredericks (11/2026), Jack Ryan (11/2026), and Holli P. Thier (11/2028) -- independently confirming that Welner's, Fredericks's, and Ryan's are exactly the three seats up this cycle.
  • thearknewspaper.com (opens in a new tab)The Ark -- Kevin Hessel, "Election 2026: Candidate filing opens July 13 for Tiburon Peninsula races" (July 7, 2026): reports "Three Tiburon Town Council seats are up, with the terms of Alice Fredericks, Jack Ryan and Jon Welner expiring. Fredericks, first elected in 2001, said she'll 'seek an unprecedented seventh term.' Ryan, on the council since 2020, and Welner, a member since 2018, did not respond to press inquiries." A pre-filing preview, published before candidate filing opened.
  • thearknewspaper.com (opens in a new tab)The Ark -- Kevin Hessel, "Tiburon Peninsula election field set for Nov. 3" (Aug. 17, 2026, published after the close of filing): reports "A five-way race has formed for three Town Council seats" -- incumbents Alice Fredericks ("seeking an unprecedented seventh term, first elected in 2001") and Jack Ryan, plus challengers Kathleen Defever ("a planning commissioner since 2018," filed and qualified Aug. 12), Chuck Hornbrook, and Faris Jafar. States the deadline extended five days "because Mayor Jon Welner, whose seat is up, did not file. He said he would not seek a third term," and that former Mayor Andrew Thompson (1992-2003) pulled papers Aug. 10 alongside Defever, prepared to file Aug. 11, then decided against it, citing several personal factors.
  • marinij.com (opens in a new tab)Marin Independent Journal -- Richard Halstead, "Slew of Marin offices up for grabs in November election" (July 27, 2026, an early pre-filing roundup): confirms three Tiburon Town Council terms expiring (Jonathan Welner, Alice Fredericks, John Ryan) and reports no candidates had filed yet as of that date. Retrieved via a Google Translate proxy this session after marinij.com direct fetches were refused by this session's tooling.
  • marinij.com (opens in a new tab)Marin Independent Journal -- Keri Brenner, "Marin candidate list lengthens for November election" (Aug. 8, 2026, published as the initial filing deadline closed): reports Welner had not filed for reelection, Fredericks and Ryan had filed to seek another term, and Hornbrook and Jafar had filed to run. Retrieved via a Google Translate proxy this session.
  • marinij.com (opens in a new tab)Marin Independent Journal -- Keri Brenner, "More contenders pile into Marin's fall elections" (published Aug. 13, 2026, updated Aug. 15, 2026, after the extended filing deadline closed): the final post-deadline roster, confirming Welner did not file, Fredericks and Ryan filed to seek reelection, and three challengers -- Hornbrook, Defever, and Jafar -- filed to run, exactly matching the town's own official election page. Retrieved via a Google Translate proxy this session.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Alice Fredericks's official candidate statement, filed with and hosted by the Town Clerk: "grateful for the 25 years the citizens of Tiburon have given me to serve"; priorities of traffic congestion relief, recreational amenities, and mitigating flooding, sea level rise, and climate change, plus maximizing grant funding. A Ph.D. in Behavioral Medicine and a law degree; a former UCSF research scientist and California Supreme Court extern, an inactive State Bar member. Prior service on the Tiburon Planning Commission, the Transportation Authority of Marin Commission, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District board, and the League of California Cities board of directors. Currently chairs the Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers' Legislative Committee.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Jack Ryan's official candidate statement, filed with and hosted by the Town Clerk: elected March 2020; priorities of family-friendly initiatives, protecting open space, improving parks, and implementing state mandates "in a way that best preserves Tiburon's character." A 16-year Tiburon resident; community work includes the Yellow Bus Challenge, neighborhood utility undergrounding, the presidency of the Belvedere Tennis Club, and coaching youth lacrosse and volleyball. Served as Mayor in 2023; currently on the Richardson Bay Regional Agency board, the town's DEI Task Force, and the Tiburon Peninsula Traffic Relief JPA. Formerly Head of Equity and Commodity Derivatives Trading at Wells Fargo; an MIT aeronautical-engineering graduate.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Chuck Hornbrook's official candidate statement, filed with and hosted by the Town Clerk: a business advisor and Tiburon Parks and Open Space Commission member (past chair); an MBA/MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and a BA with Honors from Hobart College; chairs the board of Slide Ranch and advises the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District Ferry, the Transportation Authority of Marin, Zero Waste Marin, and Safe Routes to Schools. Credits himself with shaping the Tiburon Parks Plan, writing the town's policy limiting pesticide use in parks and playgrounds, aligning ferry departure times with Reed Union School District drop-offs, and Marin County open-space work. A nine-year Tiburon resident.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Faris Jafar's official candidate statement, filed with and hosted by the Town Clerk: self-describes as founder of an investment firm, a husband and father raising three children. Frames his candidacy around applying his firm's fiduciary duty to town government; platform includes open and transparent government, audited financial statements, reinvesting new revenue in services and infrastructure while providing tax relief, reducing regulatory friction for homeowners, closer coordination with Reed Union School District, traffic and emergency-safety planning, and investment in parks and trails.
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Kathleen M. Defever's official candidate statement, filed with and hosted by the Town Clerk: an attorney and Tiburon Planning Commissioner (2018-present); a B.A. and J.D. from DePaul University, an LL.M. from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in International Insurance Law in progress since 2023; manages a law practice and an advisory firm, MisInsured, representing insurance consumers. Six-year president of the Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere; four-year board member of Farley Place, an affordable senior community serving Tiburon and Belvedere. Priorities include reducing the local impact of state housing mandates, easing traffic on Tiburon Boulevard, improving the town Building Division's efficiency, wildfire safety, and preserving open space, parks, and the arts.
  • hornbrook4tiburon.com (opens in a new tab)Chuck Hornbrook's own personal campaign website: expands on his statement with prior residences, a career spanning technology, energy, solar, EV charging, and materials recycling/reuse, currently advising clean-energy companies; a fuller committee history (Slide Ranch board chair 2024-present, Tiburon Parks/Open Space/Trails Commission chair 2021-22 and 2024-25, Golden Gate Ferry Passenger Advisory chair 2023-24, California State Parks Foundation board 2026-present, Hill Haven Neighborhood Association chair 2023-present); and a four-point platform (vibrant community, town accountability including an independent finance committee, traffic solutions, safety and sustainability).
  • townoftiburon.gov (opens in a new tab)Chuck Hornbrook's filed FPPC Form 410 Statement of Organization (Recipient Committee), stamped received by the Town Clerk Aug. 6, 2026: forms "Hornbrook 4 Tiburon Town Council 2026," a controlled committee for the 2026 Tiburon Town Council race; names Colin Crawford as treasurer and Charles Hornbrook as assistant treasurer/principal officer; lists Bank of America (Mill Valley) as the financial institution with the account number marked "in process"; marked "Not yet qualified" for reporting-threshold purposes, meaning no contributions or expenditures are yet disclosed.
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)A negative-result local campaign-finance check: Marin County's local NetFile campaign-disclosure portal, queried with Tiburon's agency code (public.netfile.com/pub2/?AID=TIB, which redirects to netfile.com/public/TIB/campaign), returns only a bare "Public Portal" client-rendered single-page-application shell with no server-side content -- the same access gap documented dataset-wide for other NetFile jurisdictions (e.g. Belvedere, Corte Madera, Novato). Documents the absence of a reachable financial-disclosure source, not any candidate's actual campaign finances.
  • cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)A negative-result access check: California's statewide Cal-Access campaign-finance filer/candidate search was queried directly this pass and returned no usable content, consistent with the Cal-Access bot-wall documented elsewhere in this dataset. Local candidates for a seat like this typically file with the town/county rather than the state in any case. Documents an access gap, not a claim about any candidate's actual state-level filings.
  • en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia, "Tiburon, California": used narrowly for the fixed, dated 2020 Census population figure (9,146) and the June 23, 1964 incorporation date, not for any 2026 election content.

Last updated September 2, 2026.