Berkeleyside wants to help you get to know your 2016 candidates for Berkeley City Council, School Board and Rent Stabilization Board. This week, we plan to publish questionnaires with the candidates daily at 11 a.m.
In coming weeks, we’ll have stories on all the key Berkeley races and initiatives that will be on the ballot, and hope to help readers make informed decisions about the potential leaders and policies that could help shape Berkeley’s future.
See all local 2016 coverage on Berkeleyside.
To kick off, questionnaires for the District 2 and District 3 City Council races follow. We asked candidates why they were running, what sets them apart, what the city’s biggest challenges are and how they hope to solve them. Learn what each candidate thinks is her or his most inspired idea, and how each candidate plans to be accountable and accessible to constituents. Each questionnaire includes complete campaign info, including social media pages, to help readers connect.
Each race below also includes a PDF grid to help readers compare responses side by side. And don’t forget: The deadline to register to vote in Alameda County for the Nov. 8 election is Monday, Oct. 24.
Candidate descriptions below reflect the official ballot order and ballot designation. Berkeleyside has plans to sit down with all the candidates this week to bring you more District 2 and District 3 coverage.
DISTRICT 2: WEST BERKELEY Three candidates are on the ballot: Cheryl Davila (commissioner/bookkeeper/parent), Nanci Ira Armstrong-Temple (teacher/mom/entrepreneur), and Darryl Moore (Berkeley City Council member, District 2). An overview of the race is in the works.
- Election 2016: Who is Cheryl Davila?
- Election 2016: Who is Nanci Armstrong-Temple?
- Election 2016: Who is Darryl Moore?
- Compare all three candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Housing views show split in South, West Berkeley races
- Websites: Davila || Armstrong-Temple || Moore
DISTRICT 3: SOUTH BERKELEY Four candidates are on the ballot: Mark A. Coplan (retired school administrator), Al G. Murray (Personnel Board chair), Deborah Matthews (educator/Realtor) and Ben Bartlett (director, environmental non-profit). An overview of the race is coming.
- Election 2016: Who is Mark Coplan?
- Election 2016: Who is Al Murray?
- Election 2016: Who is Deborah Matthews?
- Election 2016: Who is Ben Bartlett?
- Compare all four candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Housing views show split in South, West Berkeley races
- Websites: Coplan || Murray || Matthews || Bartlett
There’s at least one more chance to see District 3 candidates go head to head. It’s coming Monday, Oct. 24, at the Ashby Stage, and has been organized by the Lorin Business Association. Details are here.
Hungry for more? Watch the League of Women Voters Berkeley Albany Emeryville candidate forum for districts 2 and 3 from September, and see Berkeleyside’s coverage of that event.
Other resources
- The city of Berkeley’s election portal, including candidate info and ballot arguments
- Don’t know your Berkeley City Council district? The city website has a handy tool for that.
- Voter’s Edge: View a personalized ballot by entering your address
- The League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville: Local races
- Check your voter registration status (and sign up to get election materials online)
- Find your voter profile (Alameda County registrar of voters)
- Confused about ranked-choice voting? Learn how it works
Berkeleyside’s Uncharted: The Berkeley Festival of Ideas is two days of provocative thinking, inspiring speakers, workshops, and a big party — all in downtown Berkeley in October. Read all about it, be part of it. Register on the Uncharted website.
* The Murray campaign did not provide a photo; Berkeleyside provided one at the top of this story.
