Eight candidates are running for five seats on Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization Board in November, with only one incumbent up for re-election.
It’s an at-large race, meaning Berkeley residents can vote for five rent board members regardless of where they live in the city.
Incumbent Soli Alpert is running along with Stefan Elgstrand, Carole Marasovic, Vanessa Danielle Marrero, Ida Martinac, Nathan Mizell, Wendy Saenz Hood and Negeene Mosaed. They have all qualified for the election to fill the open seats.
Alpert is vice-chair of the board and the only incumbent running for re-election on a slate of “progressive, pro-tenant” candidates with Martinac, Marrero, Mosaed and Mizell.
Elgstrand is Mayor Jesse Arreguín’s legislative analyst, and Saenz Hood and Marasovic are repeat candidates who ran for the rent board in 2022. Saenz Hood was previously part of the “Homeowners for Rent Board” slate.
The board consists of Leah Simon-Weisberg, Alpert, James Chang, Xavier Johnson, Andy Kelley, Paola Laverde, Mari Mendonca, John Selawsky and Dominique Walker.
The pro-tenant slate, selected by the Berkeley Tenant Convention during election years, swept the rent board in 2020, and a majority of the current board is held by those candidates, including Simon-Weisberg, Johnson, Kelley, Mendonca and Walker.
Chang, Laverde and Selawsky have termed out, opening up three seats on the board. Mendonca is vying for a city council seat in District 8, opened up by Councilmember Lori Droste’s departure.
Early voting for the 2022 election begins Oct. 10, which is also when you can start returning your vote-by-mail ballot. Election Day is Nov. 8.
