We condensed more than a dozen hours of interviews into election guides that allow readers to compare candidates head-to-head for the June 2 primary. Five mayoral candidates are running for the position in the City of Santa Cruz.

SANTA CRUZ AND MONTEREY COUNTIES >> Ahead of the June 2 primary election, Santa Cruz Local has created a non-partisan guide to the five local races.

This spring, Santa Cruz Local and Noticias Watsonville sent out surveys and held listening sessions across the county to see what local issues voters care about most. We heard from hundreds of people across Santa Cruz, South County and Pajaro.

Top issues included:

• Affordable housing and tenant protections.
• Local response to state housing construction mandates.
• Economic development and financial assistance.
• Transparent communication between local elected leaders and residents.

We took these issues to candidates, and asked how they would address residents’ most pressing concerns. Then, we condensed more than a dozen hours of interviews into guides that allow readers to compare candidates head-to-head. 

Our guide includes:

• Five candidates for Santa Cruz County Mayor.
• Two candidates each for two Santa Cruz City Council seats.
• Three candidates for Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 4.
• Two candidates for Monterey County Supervisor District 2.

See the full guide for more information about the election, including how and where to vote.

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