Hector Marin, left, is challenging incumbent Scott Newsome for Santa Cruz City Council District 4 in the June 2 election. (Contributed)

Last county update: 6/18/2026 5:00:00 PM

Santa Cruz City Council, District 4 (vote for 1)

Candidate		Total
Hector Marin		1,333 (47.22%)
Scott Newsome		1,471 (52.11%)
Write In		19 (0.67%)

Santa Cruz City Council, District 6 (vote for 1)

Candidate		Total
Gabriella Noack		1,108 (35.80%)
Renée Golder		1,968 (63.59%)
Write In		19 (0.61%)

Note: This story will be updated on Thursday, June 5 at 4 p.m. as vote counts are released. See all results.

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz City Councilmembers Scott Newsome and Renee Golder are leading in early election results as of Thursday afternoon.

In his bid for reelection to District 4, Newsome garnered 54.59% of the vote as of 4 p.m. June 4. His challenger, Hector Marin, trailed with 44.4% of the vote.

“We are confident that we will catch up because the people are on our side,” Marin said Tuesday night. “Most importantly, we’re just very humbled to be in service of our communities. A message has been delivered successfully throughout the city of Santa Cruz, and that is that we are ready for fundamental change.”

In her bid to remain District 6 councilmember, Golder secured 66.25% of the vote as of 4 p.m. June 4. Her challenger, Gabriella Noack, trailed with 33.04% of the vote.

Golder said she isn’t planning on looking at the results until the vote is finalized in about 30 days. “I don’t like to stress over things that aren’t in my control,” she said. “I’ll keep working in the meantime.”

Her plans for another term include “continuing with the good work that’s been happening in terms of reducing street homelessness, activating public spaces, making sure that people are compensated well that work at the city, and bringing economic vitality to to the residents and correcting the environment,” she said. “I think we’ve been making good progress, and there’s always work to be done.”

Results will be updated multiple times tonight and throughout the week, and must be finalized by July 2. Follow our election results page for the latest news.

District 4

District 4 includes Downtown and Beach Flats. Newsome was elected in 2022 from a field of four. His opponents included Marin, who in 2022 garnered more than 34% of the vote.

Marin and Newsome described their plans to tackle Santa Cruz’s biggest issues for Santa Cruz Local’s voter guide. Here’s a quick look at how they differ:

Issue	Scott Newsome	Hector Marin
What would you do to address the housing affordability crisis?	Ensure buildings with expiring rent restrictions stay affordable. Direct money to eviction protection programs.	Reduce the annual allowable rent hike. Create a city office to mediate conflicts between renters and landlords.
What would you do to address the acceleration of housing developments?	Change local housing policies to accommodate neighbor feedback, within limits of the law. Continue affordable housing development.	Hold more community town halls with developers and neighbors. Protect downtown venues with historic value.
What policies would you try to enact in regard to homelessness?	Increase shelter capacity. Ensure access to homeless day services.	Replace homeless day services and create a year-round warming center. Consider new business taxes to pay for homelessness services. Increase enforcement of camping ban.
How would you address road safety?	Focus transportation funding on improvements for bikes and pedestrians. Create a dedicated fund for street safety improvements.	Advocate for expanded and improved roads throughout District 4, particularly in Beach Flats. Create a pilot program to close Pacific Avenue to cars on Saturday nights.
What would you do to spur more public engagement?	Continue responding to constituent emails and calls. Hold town halls if residents request them.	Hold regular town halls and community events like block parties.
How would you address racial equity and inclusion?	Continue routing federal money towards a community center in Beach Flats. Continue encouraging diverse applicants to city advisory boards.	Advocate for a fund to combat disinvestment in the Beach Flats neighborhood. Connect with Spanish-speaking constituents.

renee-golder-gabriella-noack-council-2026

Renee Golder, left, is running for reelection against challenger Gabriella Noack in the June 2 election. (Contributed)

District 6

District 6 includes much of Westside and part of the UC Santa Cruz campus. Golder and Noak offered different views for the future of Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz Local’s election guide. Here’s a quick look at how they differ:

Issue	Renee Golder	Gabriella Noack
What would you do to address the housing affordability crisis?	Encourage owners of apartment buildings to convert units into condominiums. Maintain the current level of support already available for renters.	Establish an elected rent board to enforce tenant protections. Grant people undergoing eviction the right to legal counsel. Consider tax initiatives to fund housing subsidies.
What would you do to address the acceleration of housing developments?	Urge the state to pause changes to building codes. Build denser housing downtown while preserving single-family neighborhoods.	Open single-family lots to duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. Tax breaks for affordable housing. Encourage fewer large market-rate buildings.
What policies would you try to enact in regard to homelessness?	Offer “a carrot and a stick” approach, offering shelter to those who need it and enforcing consequences for those who refuse. Mandate treatment for people with substance use disorder or serious mental illness.	Stop encampment sweeps. Open more shelters. Incentivize a higher minimum wage.
How would you address road safety?	Continue progress on creating more bike lanes and other street improvements. Consider long-term plans for traffic circles on Soquel Avenue.	Pay wheelchair users, cyclists and pedestrians to identify safety concerns. Create distributed, rather than dense, housing development.
What would you do to spur more public engagement?	Continue holding town halls and responding to emails and phone calls.	Use open source technology for more residents to share opinions and ideas.
How would you address racial equity and inclusion?	Continue ensuring equity in city recreation programs.	Partner with organizations led by people of color like Barrios Unidos.

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