Rohnert Park, Cotati Voter Guide: Local Races, Early Voting

ROHNERT PARK AND COTATI, CA — Election day may not be until Nov. 8, but Californians are allowed to begin voting almost a month before the general election.

In the Golden State, Oct. 10 was the deadline for counties to send out vote-by-mail ballots, which every registered voter will automatically receive, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.

Starting Oct. 29, residents can cast their ballots at seven vote centers in Sonoma County; starting Nov. 5 through Nov. 8, there will be 24 vote centers open in Sonoma County. Find a complete list of sites and other election information here.

"We're urging all Californians to vote early this year," said California Secretary Of State Shirley Weber. "You don't have to wait until Election Day because voting by mail makes it easy as soon as you get your ballots. Every person who votes early will help keep lines shorter and reduce wait times at in-person voting locations on Election Day."

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 8, and ballots returned at a designated ballot drop box must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

In most instances, Californians are not required to show identification to cast a ballot. However, those who did not provide a driver’s license number or a social security number while registering to vote may be asked to do so while voting for the first time in person.

In Cotati, the drop box is at the Cotati Veterans Memorial Building, 8505 Park Ave.

In Rohnert Park, drop boxes are at the Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way; and at Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave.

A map of more drop boxes and voting locations in Sonoma County is posted here. The state's Early Voting website is also a good place to look up voting locations near you.

The vote center at Cotati Veterans Memorial Building will be open for 11 straight days starting Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

In Rohnert Park, vote centers will open Nov. 5 and remain open through Election Day at:

• Rohnert Park Community Center, Garden Room, 5401 Snyder Ln, Rohnert Park
• Rohnert Park Senior Center, 6800 Hunter Dr, Rohnert Park
• Sonoma State University – Tuscany Village, Casentino Room, 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park

Here's what's on the Nov. 8 ballot for voters in Rohnert Park and Cotati.

Local Election

Rohnert Park City Council

Voters in Districts 1, 2, and 5 will elect Rohnert Park City Council members in the Nov. 8 general election.

District 1

Current Rohnert Park City Councilmember Samantha Rodriguez, who was appointed to the role in May, is seeking a full two-year term. She is up against challenger Dave Soldavini, who ran for city council in the previous election. Read their candidate statements here.

District 2

There are three candidates for the District 2 seat: Jason Atallah, an M-Section native who works in cybersecurity; Emily Sanborn, an L-section homeowner who works as a sales account manager; and Tom Levin, an M-Section resident who retired from the Coast Guard and works as a project manager. Read their candidate statements here.

District 5

Incumbent City Councilmember Susan Hollingsworth-Adams, a business owner, is vying for the District 5 seat against challenger Joseph Callinan, a business owner who served on the Rohnert Park City Council until 2020 and is seeking to hold the office once again. Read their candidate statements here.

Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools

Voters will decide between Amie Carter, current assistant superintendent of schools for Marin County, and Brad Coscarelli, a school principal. Coscarelli withdrew from the race in August, according to news reports, but it was too late to have his name officially taken off the ballot.

U.S. House of Representatives, District 4

Rohnert Park and Cotati voters will decide whether to re-elect incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democrat; or elect his Republican challenger, Matt Brock.

U.S. Senate, California

Also on the Nov. 8 ballot, voters must choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat; or his Republican challenger, Mark Meuser.

California State Assembly, District 12

Sara Aminzadeh and Damon Connolly, both Democrats, are vying to represent the newly drawn 12th District as its state assemblymember. Connolly has served as a Marin County supervisor while Aminzadeh has served as California Coastal commissioner. Read their candidate statements here.

View the full list of candidates and measures on the Nov. 8 Sonoma County ballot here.

Statewide Races

Millions of Californians will be called back to the ballot boxes this year to decide who will occupy the governor’s seat as well as a slew of other important statewide positions.

Golden Staters will be asked to vote on candidates for:

Governor

Gov. Gavin Newsom is up for re-election in 2022, and he’s likely to sail to another victory with ease after surviving a recall election last year and managing and dominating in the primary election.

Nonetheless, he will face opponent state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), whom he beat by nearly 40 points in the June primary.

Dahle’s campaign has raised just $2 million, while Newsom’s campaign has raised more than $23 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Newsom leads Dahle by a 27-point margin — 58 to 31 percent — among likely voters, according to a September Public Policy Institute of California survey.

The Democratic governor will debate the lesser-known Dahle on Oct. 23.

READ MORE: Rumors Of Presidential Run Swirl As Newsom Seeks Re-election

Attorney General

Attorney General Rob Bonta was appointed after Xavier Becerra became the first Latino to hold the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services seat.

Bonta, a Democrat and former state lawmaker, will face off against Republican Nathan Hochman, a former assistant U.S. attorney general and a criminal attorney. Hochman says the state needs a new attorney general who will combat rising crime.

Hochman got 18 percent of the vote in the June 7 primary, while Bonta won 54.8 percent.

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Democrat Ricardo Lara will run for a second term as insurance commissioner, a seat that is tasked with regulating the state insurance industry. Republican cybersecurity equipment manufacturer Robert Howell will challenge Lara in the general election.

He has described himself as a “Reagan Republican,” who says he’s committed to helping wildfire victims and insurance premiums that are “abusively inflated,” CalMatters reported.

Secretary of State

Incumbent Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, was appointed by Newsom after Alex Padilla ascended to his seat as a senator. She will face Republican Rob Bernosky, who describes himself as a “practical conservative.”

Bernosky, the chief financial officer of a tech company, is a longtime activist and former Hollister school board member. He previously ran for state Assembly in 2010 and in 2012 but was unsuccessful.

If re-elected, Weber said she plans to change the state’s recall system after the attempted recall of Newsom last year. Democrats argue that the recall process was abused.

“Very little conversation occurred about: Does this man need to be recalled? Has he done something so egregious that we want to remove him from office?” Weber told CalMatters.

READ MORE: What Would Shirley Weber Do Next As California Secretary Of State?

Controller

The race for controller in a California general election doesn't typically generate much interest, but June’s primary was among the most interesting races statewide. That’s because a Republican, Lanhee Chen, was able to advance. Chen opened the door for a Republican to have a shot at their first statewide office since 2006.

The state’s fiscal officer typically facilitates audits and serves on some 70 state boards and commissions.

In November, Chen will face Malia Cohen, a Democrat and member of the state Board of Equalization. Chen is a Stanford instructor and former top Republican adviser.

READ MORE: Chen Advances To Runoff For CA Controller

State Treasurer

Democratic incumbent Fiona Ma will face Republican Jack Guerrero in November. Guerrero is a certified public accountant serving on the Cudahy City Council in Los Angeles County.

If re-elected, Ma said her priority would be to meet Newsom’s goal of building 3.5 million homes by 2025, she told CalMatters.

Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Angela Underwood Jacobs, a bank manager who has experience serving as a member of the Lancaster City Council.

Kounalakis is the first woman to be elected lieutenant governor of California and said she wants to ensure a woman succeeds to the governor’s seat in 2026, hinting at a run herself.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Unlike the other statewide races, this competition is a nonpartisan one. In November, Lance Ray Christensen, an education policy executive, will try to unseat incumbent Tony Thurmond.

Statewide Propositions

Proposition 1

This measure would codify the rights to abortions and birth control within the California constitution. Read more about it here.

Proposition 26

California does not currently allow sports betting, but since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to legalized sports wagering three years ago, California has become the jackpot for the gambling industry since it has the most professional and college teams in the nation in addition to the largest population and concentration of wealth.

Prop. 26 is a constitutional amendment that would allow it in tribal casinos and racetracks. Read more about it here.

Proposition 27

Prop. 26 seeks to allow it in tribal casinos only and racetracks while Prop. 27 is a constitutional amendment that would allow some tribes and gambling companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings to operate online or mobile sports betting outside of tribal lands. The dueling propositions present a political cage match between gambling entities battling for control over the future of the billion-dollar sports betting industry in California. Because both propositions are diametrically opposed, the passage of both would likely trigger legal battles. Read more about it here.

Proposition 28

Prop. 28 seeks to set aside funding every year for arts and music education in California’s K-12 public schools. Read more about it here.

Proposition 29

Prop. 29 would require clinics to have at least one physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant on site when patients are being treated and to report infections related to dialysis treatment. Read more about it here.

Proposition 30

Prop. 30 would increase the tax on personal income above $2 million by 1.75% and dedicate the revenue to zero-emission vehicle subsidies, building charging stations and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gasses and hiring and training firefighters to help combat wildfires. Read more about it here.

Proposition 31

A California law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in stores and vending machines passed in 2020 but was placed on hold when a referendum initiated by the tobacco industry qualified for the 2022 ballot. Now, the issue is being put to the voters. Proposition 31 essentially asks voters: should the ban go into effect? A yes vote would uphold the ban. A no-vote would kill it. Read more about it here.

Prop 1: California's Abortion Rights Amendment Explained
Prop 26: CA’s Tribal Legalized Sports Betting Measure Explained
Prop 27: CA’s Legalized Online Sports Betting Measure Explained
Prop 28: CA’s K-12 Art and Music Education Initiative Explained
Prop 29: CA’s Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative Explained
Prop 30: CA’s Clean Cars And Clean Air Act Explained
Prop 31: CA’s Flavored Tobacco Ban Referendum Explained