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
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
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.
