Meet The Candidates For Encinitas Mayor, City Council

ENCINITAS, CA — Encinitas voters will take to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, to select a new mayor while voters who reside in City Council Districts 3 and 4 will also cast votes for their representatives on the dais.

Four people qualified to run for the position of mayor. The seat is currently held by Catherine S. Blakespear who announced her bid for the California State Senate seat representing the 38th District earlier this year.

Following the end of the nomination period, community volunteer Michael, “Myekah” Blobe, small-business owner Cindy Cremona, community advocate Jeff Morris and District 1 Council Member Tony Kranz all qualified for the ballot.

Retiree Cole Ragland and Sandra Van Gilder both filed nomination paperwork to run for mayor, but failed to qualify for the ballot, according the city.

The office of mayor is elected to a two-year term, the city said.

In City Council District 3, incumbent Joy Lyndes, who was appointed to her seat in early 2021 to complete the remaining two years of former Councilwoman Jody Hubbard’s term, and community advocate Julie Thunder both qualified for the ballot.

Thunder is no stranger to the political scene; she ran for mayor against Blakespear in 2020, losing by more than 10 percentage points.

For the District 4 seat currently held by Joe Mosca, who announced earlier this year he would not be seeking reelection, Business owner Stacie Davis, educator and parent Pamela “Pam” Redela, scientist and community volunteer Dan Vaughn and Technology executive Bruce Ehlers all qualified for the ballot.

Council members are elected on staggered four-year terms, the city said.

The deputy mayor is selected each year by a majority vote of the city council.

Encinitas residents will also vote on a cannabis business tax ballot measure which, if approved by voters, will levy a tax on cannabis businesses based on each businesses gross receipts at rates of between 4 to 7 percent on retail cannabis uses and 1 to 4 percent on non-retail uses, with the exception of commercial cannabis cultivation or commercial industrial hemp cultivation which will be taxed on square footage at rates of between $2 to $10 per canopy area.

The City Clerk's office is responsible for conducting all municipal elections.

For more information visit the city's website.