2021 Local Progressive Voter Guide

Countdown to November 2, 2021 City Council Election

This guide was created to help our local voting community get insight into who to support in our upcoming Santa Barbara City Council elections on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.  Every effort was made for it to be a comprehensive, transparent resource. For information regarding how to vote, visit www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/voter-info/

Who is running for city council?

The City of Santa Barbara has a 7-person council.  The city is divided into 6 districts, each represented by one city councilperson (it’s a long story) and we have one mayor.  If you live in a district, you can vote for that person.  Find out what district you live in here.  

Everyone who lives in the city can vote for mayor.  

In 2021, more than half of Santa Barbara’s city council seats are up for election: Mayor, District 4, District 5, and District 6.  District 1, 2, & 3 are NOT up for election because they were up in 2019.

City Council Position Candidates + Websites
Mayor of Santa Barbara
District 4 Councilmember
District 5 Councilmember
District 6 Councilmember

WTF does City Council do?

Great question!  Some of the more cynical folks in our city might say… nothing.  But trust us, the city council and our hardworking city staff do a lot!  Check out the video below for a helpful explainer on how our council-manager form of local government works here in Santa Barbara.

Endorsing Partner Organizations

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The Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization. The Los Padres chapter fights for our natural resources in Arguello, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Conejo.
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The Central Coast Labor Council advocates for the working families of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
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CAUSE is a base-building organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities in California’s Central Coast. They build grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy.
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The Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund is the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast. Their mission is to expand access to quality reproductive health care for all, including safe and legal abortion, through community education, public policy initiatives, and support for candidates committed to this work.
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As a non-partisan political action committee, the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee endorses candidates who support its positions and promote a feminist agenda. SBWPC is committed to taking social action against discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age or ability.
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The Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County champion and promote Democratic principles, issues, and candidates by educating voters, increasing constituent participation, and ensuring election integrity.
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The Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee is an elected body that organizes the Democratic Party in Santa Barbara County.
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Founded in 1986, the Santa Barbara Independent is a leading source for news coverage in the greater Santa Barbara area.

Sources

  1. Santa Barbara Democratic Party (source) 
  2. Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund (source) 
  3. Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee (source) 
  4. Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County (source) 
  5. Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (source) 
  6. Central Coast Labor Council (coming soon) 
  7. Sierra Club – Los Padres Chapter (source) 
  8. Santa Barbara Independent (coming soon)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who made this?

Unpaid volunteers.  Don’t shoot!  We are open to all criticism, feedback, and… praise?  Email us at info@sbprogress.org.

Why aren't ALL candidates represented here?

This is the 2021 Local Progressive Voter Guide.  We omitted all candidates who are endorsed by the Republican party and/or other far right groups.  Additionally, we omitted candidates who are associated with far right groups in Santa Barbara or have received NO endorsements from our progressive partner organizations.  See a mistake?  Please email info@sbprogress.org.

What does the dash (-) in the endorsement table mean?

The dash means that the organization did NOT make an endorsement in that race.  

Why aren't there more endorsements from progressive organizations in the voter guide?

Large progressive organizations like Courage California, Women’s March, Human Rights Campaign, etc. don’t typically endorse in local races like city council or school board, so we omitted them from the candidate endorsement list.  We also have a lot of amazing local progressive coalition partners like the Immigrant Legal Defense Center that don’t endorse for many different reasons (it’s a lot of work!). We put together the most comprehensive list of local progressive endorsements possible.  Did we miss one?  Email us at info@sbprogress.org.

Where are endorsements from individuals?

We could never fit all endorsements for a candidate in one guide!  That’s why we will link out to each candidate’s campaign website.  Trust an individual more than some of these organizations?  Check out the endorsement pages on their websites to help you in your decision.

How can I trust the accuracy of this information?

We put this information together from the public endorsement websites of SBPC partner organizations.  We’re not perfect!  See a mistake?  Please email info@sbprogress.org.