24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 8-14, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com 2020-24, Coletti’s meddlesome style resulted in the exits of qualified staff from City Hall, with real consequences to Pacific Grove. His pursuit of an inquiry ordinance may be a hair-splitting technical exercise, but would codify his bullying style to demand information from city staff, instead of following the chain of command that enables them to simply do their jobs. A better choice is a mayor who boosts P.G. rather than searching for flaws in every new idea, from a proposed roundabout at a horrible intersection to a hotel project in the American Tin Cannery site. Smith has grown into the leadership role in his first term, and he deserves another. On council, for a two-year, at-large position (this is P.G.’s first district-based election, a cycle that needs to phase in), we recommend staying the course with incumbent Lori McDonnell, who wants to lean into ecotourism and walkability, a smart way to promote the city’s main economic driver. In District 1, incumbent Cynthia Garfield has taken on some unwieldy projects and wants to continue her progress on things like clarifying rules about city parks and city signage about littering and no-smoking, and to demystify the city budget process. Her opponent, Kevin Hanley, is a past councilmember in Auburn. He got involved in P.G. politics by joining a successful effort to vote down a compensation increase for council (an increase we believe would’ve been fair, and made the role more welcoming to a more diverse set of residents). He wants to create a Shop Local Program, an arts commission and an art walk— nice ideas, but it’s not clear they would have an economic benefit, and may be projects better suited to the Chamber of Commerce than the Council. In District 3, we are excited about newcomer Tara Leweling, a former Naval Postgraduate School student who was first introduced to the region that way, and then served for about 22 years in the Air Force. Especially compared to her two challengers, Andrew Kubica and Susan Goldbeck, Leweling has fresh ideas and describes a vision for a thriving, fun city. “We need vibrant business districts downtown,” Leweling says, recognizing it benefits residents and tourists who might otherwise decamp to Carmel or Monterey to eat and drink. “We want tourists to spend their dollars here, to stay and spend money at a wine bar after dinner.” She is willing to think outside the box at solving budget problems by exploring potential consolidations with neighboring municipalities (like they already do for the fire department). In District 5, first-time candidate Chris Thomas is running unopposed and we are enthusiastic about his energy and dedication to understanding the issues. Salinas MAYOR | DENNIS DONOHUE CITY COUNCIL | DISTRICT 2 | TONY BARRERA CITY COUNCIL | DISTRICT 3 | CARY SWENSEN CITY COUNCIL | DISTRICT 5 | ANDREW SANDOVAL There’s been a profound shift in Salinas leadership in recent years. Big ideas about empowerment and self-determination through initiatives like Building Healthy Communities, a $1 billion initiative launched in 2010, joining longer-standing advocacy organizations in Salinas. And they have shown they can lead to real change. A new generation of leaders have been elected and appointed to positions of power. In Salinas, a progressively minded council in 2024 enacted rent stabilization and other tenant protection ordinances over the objections of property owners and business leaders. It was one policy issue that’s become a proxy for how voters (and officials) feel more broadly about who should hold power. But the well-funded backlash was swift, and in the 2024 election cycle, an entire slate of candidates aligned with the former leadership was voted out, and a new, more old-school council was voted in. If anything, that sweeping loss, followed by the repeal of rent stabilization (also on the ballot as Measure H), has drawn even more energetic participation in local government. Unfortunately, that energy does not quite translate to the ballot—there are many flawed candidates in these races. Nowhere is that more true than mayor, where we struggled to make an endorsement in this four-way race. Peter Szalai strikes us as reasonable, and he has some smart ideas, but his participation in public life to date does not suggest he’s prepared to be the kind of coalition builder Salinas needs to get things done. Hezekiah Gonzalez, 20, is running simply on a promise that youth is an asset, without studying the issues. Daniel Muñoz has soared into the spotlight for two recall attempts he is leading, against District 1 Councilmember José Luis Barajas and County Supervisor Luis Alejo, which is the opposite of coalition building and productive policy engagement. His main campaign idea is an agriculture tax, hitting Salinas’ biggest industry, while he opposes Measure G, a critical extension of an existing sales tax. That leaves us with the incumbent, Dennis Donohue. We wish he were a different kind of leader, from generating fresh policy ideas to leading meetings differently, from an inclusive posture rather than cutting the public’s speaking time shorter. But what we do know is that he is a steady presence. His campaign platform is as dull as they come, but shows a real understanding of Salinas’ immediate needs: He wants to see more investment in infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, potholes) and he supports untapped potential to promote more day-tripper tourism from the Monterey Peninsula to Salinas to help generate some of those dollars. He’s sincerely interested in economic development, both in agriculture and beyond (we like his idea to feature art more prominently in that strategy), and he believes in the potential of Salinas. Despite Donohue’s shortcomings, he strikes us as the best prepared candidate who is up for the task. For council, District 2 incumbent Tony Barrera has long been a supporter of the ordinary working person and is also willing and able to work with detractors. He stands up for what he believes is right, then can shake hands and cooperate at the end of the day. He’s invested in his community and proud to point to accomplishments that take a long time, like the revamped Closter Park. Challenger Jose Guerra is a case study in getting involved in local government. He saw problems in his Monte Bella neighborhood and became a persistent figure in civic processes. We respect his involvement, but he does not offer a credible plan to lead. He wants to axe all of City Hall’s top leadership and opposes the necessary extension of Measure G. In District 3, we are excited about the energy and commitment of educator/small business owner Cary Swensen, who is running for a third time. She is deeply involved in civic life and has done her homework (we David Boland | Carmel mayor NIK BLASKOVICH “WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE MEAT AND POTATOES— THE BUDGET, CLEAN STREETS.”
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