There are 12 seats at play in Berkeley, including the mayor’s office, four City Council positions, two School Board positions and five on the Rent Stabilization Board. Photo: ClatieK/Flickr

Whether voting by mail, at a drop-off location, or in-person (see a map of accessible locations) on Nov. 3, Berkeley voters will have plenty of candidates to choose from in the seven local races this year.

There are 12 seats at play, including the mayor’s office, four City Council positions, two School Board positions and five on the Rent Stabilization Board.

Here are the candidates running in Berkeley who will be on your ballot on Nov. 3. They are mentioned in the order the City Clerk placed them on the ballot. We have included a link to each candidate’s website (if they have one) and a link to Berkeleyside coverage. We will be providing more campaign coverage in the coming weeks.

Berkeley mayor

Jesse Arreguin, mayor, city of Berkeley. Read about Arreguin on Berkeleyside

Wayne Hsiung, an environmental attorney. Read about Hsiung on Berkeleyside

Aidan Hill, vice-chair of Berkeley’s Homeless Commission. Read about Hill on Berkeleyside

Naomi D. Pete (no designation requested). Read about Pete on Berkeleyside

Berkeley City Council, District 2

District 2 candidates (from left to right in ballot order): Terry Taplin, Alex Sharenko, Cheryl Davila and Timothy Carter
District 2 candidates (from left to right in ballot order): Terry Taplin, Alex Sharenko, Cheryl Davila and Timothy Carter. Photos: Courtesy

Terry Taplin, Transportation Commission vice-chair. Read about Taplin on Berkeleyside

Alex Sharenko, solar energy scientist. Read about Sharenko on Berkeleyside

Cheryl Davila, incumbent. Read about Davila on Berkeleyside

Timothy W. Carter, business owner and commissioner. Read about Carter on Berkeleyside

Berkeley City Council, District 3

Ben Bartlett, Berkeley City Council member. Read about Bartlett on Berkeleyside

Deborah Matthews, real estate broker. Read about Matthews on Berkeleyside

Orlando Martinez, construction manager. Read about Martinez on Berkeleyside

Berkeley City Council, District 5

Berkeley City Council District 5 candidates Todd Andrew and Sophie Hahn
District 5 candidates (in ballot order): Todd Andrew and Sophie Hahn. A third candidate, Paul Picklesimer, did not respond to Berkeleyside inquiries. Photos: Courtesy

Todd Andrew, real estate salesperson. Read about Andrew on Berkeleyside

Sophie Hahn, Berkeley City Council member. Read about Hahn on Berkeleyside

Paul Darwin Picklesimer, community center manager. Read about Picklesimer on Berkeleyside

Berkeley City Council, District 6

Richard Illgen, social justice attorney. Read about Illgen on Berkeleyside

Susan Wengraf, Berkeley City Council member. Read about Wengraf on Berkeleyside

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board (5 seats)

Bahman Ahmadi, retired engineer

Bianca Zahrai, attorney

Wendy Saenz Hood Neufeld, retired media coordinator

Soulmaz Panahi, real estate agent

Leah Simon-Weisberg, Rent Stabilization Board commissioner. Read about Simon-Weisberg on Berkeleyside

Carole Marasovic, member of Berkeley’s Homeless Commission and attorney. Read about Marasovic on Berkeleyside

Mari Mendonca, appointed Rent Stabilization Board commissioner. Read about Mendonca on Berkeleyside.

Pawel Moldenhawer, green building contractor

Dan McDunn, home builder. Read about McDunn on Berkeleyside.

Andy Kelley, Alameda County planning commissioner 

Dominique Walker, community field organizer. Read about Walker on Berkeleyside

Xavier Johnson, tenants’ rights advocate

Berkeley School Board (2 seats)

Laura Babitt, parent and financial auditor. Read about Babitt on Berkeleyside

Jose Luis Bedolla, nonprofit CEO

Norma J F Harrison, community volunteer. Read about Harrison on Berkeleyside

Esfandiar Imani, risk management consultant

Mike Chang, education law attorney

Ana Vasudeo, schools transportation planner. Read about Vasudeo on Berkeleyside

All terms of office will run from Dec. 1, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2024, with the exception of one Rent Board seat, which has a term from Dec. 1, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2022. The Rent Board candidate with the fifth-most votes will serve the shorter term.

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Eden Teller is a freelance reporter, writer and amateur gardener. She began reporting for Berkeleyside as an intern in 2013 and continued her career with a B.A. in Media Studies from Macalester College...