Petaluma Election Guide: What’s On The Ballot, What To Know

PETALUMA, CA—The general election isn’t until Nov. 5, but early voting is getting underway in California. By Oct. 7, all counties must have begun mailing ballots to all registered voters.

Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Deva Marie Proto confirmed that vote-by-mail ballots began going out Monday to all active, registered voters in the county. She expected the ballots to arrive in mailboxes in 3-10 days.

While the hottest race on the ballot is the presidential election — pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald J. Trump — there are plenty of races to watch in Petaluma.

Races To Watch In Petaluma, Sonoma County

Measure Y Petaluma Urban Growth Boundary

Yes or No? Measure Y would extend the city's Urban Growth Boundary through 2050 to maintain a greenbelt and curtail urban sprawl. A simple majority of at least 50 percent of votes is needed to pass. Read more about Measure Y.

Measure I Countywide Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative & Sales Tax

Yes or No? Measure I would allow the implementation of a quarter-cent—$0.25—transaction and use tax on the sale and use of tangible property countywide in all incorporated cities and all unincorporated communities and areas until ended by the voters, to fund early childcare, education, and health care for children with high-priority needs. The retail tax would generate $30 million annually.

A simple majority of at least 50 percent of the votes is needed to pass. Read more here about Measure I.

Measure J Countywide Prohibition On Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Yes or No? Should the County Code be amended to prohibit, outside of the Coastal Zone, farms and other animal production operations that meet the definition of “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” (CAFOs), as defined by federal regulations, require phase out of existing CAFOs over three years, authorize daily financial penalties for violations, and require, among other things, the Agricultural Commissioner to create a job retraining program for CAFO workers?

A simple majority of at least 50 percent of the votes is needed to pass. Read more here about Measure J.

Measure W Sonoma County Library District Transactions & Use Tax

Yes or No? Measure W would renew an existing 2016 countywide voter-approved measure that provides almost 40 percent of Sonoma County Library’s funding and is set to expire soon. Measure W would keep this .125-percent — 1/8-cent — sales tax funding in place until voters repeal it. As a special tax, the revenue generated by Measure W, estimated at $18 million annually, may only be used for specific purposes outlined in an Expenditure Plan to maintain and enhance Sonoma County Library services.

The measure needs approval by two-thirds of voters to pass. See more about Measure W.

Measure AA, Petaluma High/ Junior High School Improvements

Yes or No? Measure AA would authorize the Petaluma Joint Union High School District to issue$159 million in bonds to repair and upgrade high and junior high school facilities at a tax rate of $30 per $100,000 assessed value.

This ballot item needs at least 55 percent of votes to pass. See more about Measure AA.

Measure Z Petaluma Elementary School Improvement

Yes or No? To repair and make upgrades to schools in the Petaluma City Elementary School District, shall Measure Z be adopted authorizing $70 million in bonds at legal rates, at $30 per $100,000 assessed value while bonds are outstanding ($4 million annually), with independent oversight, and no funds for administrators?

This ballot item needs at least 55 percent of votes to pass. See more about Measure Z.

Measure L Waugh School District Parcel Tax

Yes or No: Measure L would implement an Education Parcel Tax of $89 per year per parcel for four years, commencing July 1, 2025, for properties within the Waugh School District, exempting residents 65 and older. The tax would bring in around $549,000 annually for local schools.

This needs at least two-thirds of the votes to pass. See more about Measure L here.

Petaluma City Council

Two candidates are vying for the District 4 council seat: Jeffrey Jay, 64, and Frank Quint (age not given). Their candidate statements are here.

• ALSO SEE: Meet Frank Quint, District 4 Candidate For Petaluma City Council | Meet Jeffrey 'JJ' Jay, District 4 Candidate For Petaluma City Council

There are also two candidates for the District 5 seat: Petaluma planning commissioner Blake Hooper, 34, and fourth-generation Petaluman Andrew DeCarli, 34. See their candidate statements.

• ALSO SEE: Meet Blake Hooper, District 5 Candidate For Petaluma City Council

Three candidates are vying for the District 6 council seat: 39-year-old incumbent City Council member Brian Barnacle; 66-year-old incumbent City Council member Mike Healy; and 63-year-old Lance Kuehne, a businessperson, photographer and former Petaluma High School teacher.

• ALSO SEE: Meet Brian Barnacle, District 6 Candidate For Petaluma City Council |Meet Lance Kuehne, District 6 Candidate For Petaluma City Council

Petaluma Joint Union High School District, Board Trustee Area 4

Ellen Webster, a teacher, parent and incumbent trustee who has served as board president, is seeking reelection.

Kimberly Ruiz Seitz is also vying for the seat. She describes herself as a VP of investment operations.

Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District, At-Large Director

Four seats on the board of the Rancho Adobe Fire District, which serves Cotati, Penngrove and parts of unincorporated Petaluma, are up for election. The board of directors has seven members. Five candidates are vying for four seats: Mark Hemmendinger, incumbent; Bret Herman, incumbent; Sage Howell, appointed incumbent; Peter Ray Albini, retired firefighter; and Brian Proteau, incumbent.

California State Assembly, 12th District

Incumbent Damon Connolly of San Rafael is seeking his second term in the state Assembly after years of public service in Marin County. See Connolly's website.

Republican Andrew Podshadley, a Novato business owner, seeks his first public office. Read more about Podshadley on his campaign website.

California State Senate, 3rd District

Democratic candidate and former longtime West Sacarmento Mayor Christopher Gabaldon has taught government classes at Sacarmento State University. Now, he wants to bring his experience to public office. See more on this campaign website: Cabaldonforsenate.com.

Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza withdrew from this race before the March primary, leaving a field of five candidates.

Republican candidate Thom Bogue came in second in the primary, securing his spot on the November ballot. Bogue serves on the Dixon City Council to which he was first elected in 2010. See more on his campaign website, Thombogue4statesenate.com.

U.S. House, 2nd Congressional District

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a San Rafael resident, seeks his fifth term in Congress representing constituents from the Golden Gate Bridge north to the California-Oregon border. See more about Huffman on his campaign website: Jaredhuffman.com.

His opponent, Republican Chris Coulombe, is a Sonoma County native and business owner who had a successful military career while also pursuing an education. His campaign website is Christocongress.com.

U.S. House, 4th Congressional District

The incumbent, Democrat U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, is a Napa County native who seeks to keep representing the 4th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. He is a U.S. Army veteran who was first elected to Congress in 1998. See more on his campaign website: Mikethompsonforcongress.com.

His challenger, Republican John Munn, is a longtime Davis resident and a former elected member of the Davis School Board. His campaign website is Munnforcongress.com.

Statewide Races

In California, there are several statewide races to watch and 10 propositions to vote on.

U.S. Senate

A consequential contest will be the race for the U.S. Senate seat long held by the late Dianne Feinstein. Voters will cast their ballot twice in this race, on Nov. 5. They’ll choose a candidate to finish out Feinstein’s current term and again for the next term, which begins in 2025.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey are vying for the seat. Schiff, a progressive favorite in the Golden State, has been a Democratic congressman since 2000, representing California's 30th Congressional District in Los Angeles County.

Garvey, formerly an all-star MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, advanced in March to the November ballot as a first-time political candidate. Republicans have failed to advance a candidate in two of the last three U.S. Senate races, making Garvey’s defeat of Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, a rare feat for the GOP in blue California.

According to the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, Schiff holds a 28-point lead —63 percent to 35 percent — over Garvey. Schiff gained widespread name recognition for his role in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Read more about that race here.

U.S. House

As for congressional races, the state’s most competitive contests for the U.S. House seats in California are primarily in three regions — the Central Valley, Orange County and the Inland Empire, according to the Public Policy Institute of California’s most recent election report. The competitive races include districts 3, 9, 13, 22, 27, 40, 41, 45, 47 and 49.

Currently, the GOP holds seven of these seats. Here’s a brief breakdown of the candidates in each competitive area:

• District 3, which hugs the Nevada border from Death Valley to the Sacramento suburbs, will see another contest between Republican Incumbent Kevin Kiley and returning Democratic candidate Jessica Morse. Kiley previously attempted to run for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s seat in a failed recall attempt.
• District 9 centered in Stockton pits Democratic incumbent against Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln II.
• In District 13 covering the San Joaquin Valley, Republican incumbent John Duarte — who flipped the seat red in 2022 for the first time since 1974 — will go up against Democrat Adam Gray. Since Redistricting in 2022, the district is considered a left-leaning swing district whose voters went for Biden in 2020 but chose a Republican representative in 2022.
• District 22 in the San Joaquin Valley will have Republican incumbent David G. Valadao challenge Democrat Rudy Salas. Both candidates were neck-and-neck during the March primary, with Valadao receiving 32.7 votes to Salas’ 31.3. Redistricting has shifted the 22nd to the left since 2020, making Valadao one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the House.
• In District 27, which covers northeast Los Angeles County, GOP incumbent Mike Garcia is pitted against George Whitesides. Whitesides, a former chief of staff of NASA during Barack Obama’s presidency, is a formidable challenger to Garcia, who has held the seat since 2020.
• In District 40, covering northeast Riverside County, Democrat Joe Kerr will challenge Republican incumbent Young Kim.
• District 41 will have Republican incumbent Ken Calvert face off against a much younger Democratic contender, Will Rollins. Calvert is the longest-serving GOP member in California Congress. Rollins, who is gay, has clashed with Calvert over LGBTQ+ issues, which may prove to be a challenge for him in a district that encompasses Palm Springs.
• Orange County’s District 45, covering inland north county communities, is diverse politically and ethnically since the area hosts the largest population of Vietnamese people in the nation. There, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel will face off against Derek Tran, a Democrat known for his advocacy for workers’ rights.
• District 47, another Orange County stronghold, is currently represented by Rep. Katie Porter, who did poorly in the March primary and is not seeking reelection. Former GOP state legislator Scott Baugh, who lost to Porter previously, will challenge Sen. Dave Min.
• District 49 will see Democratic incumbent Mike Levin go up against Republican challenger Matt Gunderson.

State Measures

Of course, it wouldn’t be a major election in California without a slew of proposed propositions on the ballot.

Ten statewide propositions are on the ballot, including two $10 billion bond measures for school construction and to address climate change. Two amendments to the state constitution are also on the ballot: one that would repeal the unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage and another that would make it easier for bond measures to pass by lowering the voter threshold from the current supermajority needed to approve bond measures.

However, the most hot-button measure on the ballot is Proposition 36, which seeks to reverse some of the criminal justice reforms passed when voters approved Proposition 47 a decade ago. If Prop 36 passes, it could significantly increase prison time for some drug and theft offenses that are currently misdemeanors.

Click here for Patch’s in-depth reporting on all 10 propositions.

How To Vote

Nov. 5 marks Sonoma County's first general presidential election under the Voter’s Choice Act election model adopted by the county in 2022. To provide greater flexibility for voters, the county must provide one official ballot drop box per 15,000 registered voters starting no later than 28 days before Election Day. They must also utilize vote centers instead of polling places.

Here are three options Sonoma County residents have for voting:

• Mail-in ballot: Voters can send back ballots they received in the mail by signing and sealing them and placing them in either a mailbox or one of 22 Official Ballot Drop Boxes throughout Sonoma County. As of Tuesday, Oct. 8, the drop boxes are open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. See the countywide list of drop box sites here. (Note: If you do not have your blue return envelope, you can get a replacement at a Sonoma County Vote Center.)
• Early voting: Each county has at least one location where voters can vote in person or drop off ballots at least 10 days before Election Day. See a map of early voting locations in Sonoma County. A list of Vote Centers can be found here.
• Traditional in-person voting: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Click here to find your polling location.

Notice: Registrar of Voters Drive-Thru Drop Box Now Closed

The drive-thru in front of the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office has permanently closed. A 24/7 drop box is still available, but voters must park and step outside their vehicle to access it. For voters who cannot or prefer not to exit their vehicle, there is a 24/7 drive-thru drop box two blocks away in front of the Administration Building at 575 Administration Drive.

Registering To Vote

Not sure if you’re registered to vote, or need to change your address? You can find out here and make any changes you may need, as well. Californians need to register to vote by Oct. 21 to vote in the Nov. 5 election. You can also register in person on Election Day for a conditional ballot.

In Sonoma County, people who wish to register to vote in person can do so at the closest DMV, post office, or library. The county Elections Office at 435 Fiscal Drive in Santa Rosa also offers voter registration. The Elections Office is open 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the two weekends before Election Day. It can be reached by phone at 707-565-6800 or via email at rov-info@sonoma-county.org.

Election Day

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Use the links above to find your polling place, and remember that if you are already in line to vote when the polls close, you can still vote — so don't leave! Nov. 5 is also the last day to get your ballot in the mail if you are going that route to cast your votes.