A total of 14 candidates for Berkeley City Council and six ballot measures will appear and be eligible for voting on the November 2026 ballot.

The councilmember seats in Districts 1, 4, 7 and 8 are up for election, as well as the position of City Auditor, five seats on the Rent Stabilization Board and three seats on the Berkeley School Board.

Here’s a look at the candidates running for city council and their platforms, as well as key details on the ballot measures to be voted on in November.

District 1

Laura Babitt

Laura Babitt was elected to the Berkeley School Board in 2020. According to her campaign, Babitt’s platform seeks to prioritize safe and clean neighborhoods, intergenerational opportunities for youth, families and seniors, support for small businesses, fiscal accountability and “compassionate solutions” to connect individuals to city services.

Babitt’s endorsements include State Senator and former Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley District 2 Councilmember Terry Taplin, District 3 Councilmember Ben Bartlett, District 6 Councilmember Brent Blackaby and Berkeley School Board Director Ka’Dijah Brown.

Ross Bernet

Ross Bernet is an environmentalist with 15 years of experience in “leading environmental efforts in both non-profit and for-profit organizations,” according to his campaign site. Bernet’s platform names smooth and safe streets, bringing down the cost of living, enhancing parks and public spaces and fiscal responsibility as priorities.

Bernet’s endorsements include incumbent Berkeley District 1 Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, District 14 State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, District 2 Councilmember Terry Taplin and District 8 Councilmember Mark Humbert.

Manisha Gangopadhyay

Manisha Gangopadhyay has worked in policymaking since 1997, including at the state level as an advisor on California’s clean energy initiatives, according to her campaign website. Gangopadhyay’s platform includes expanding affordable housing, making city government “accountable to its constituents” and safe streets through the enforcement of traffic rules.

John Kromer

John Stephen Kromer is an energy efficiency consultant who has authored multiple papers and a book in his field. According to his campaign, he built the Berkeley Transparency Hub, “a public tracker that turns the city’s council agendas and contracts into clear, categorized records” of expenditures. Kromer’s platform includes delivering core services to residents, plain-language budgets, faster permits, safe public spaces and “paths to safety, not endless programs” for Berkeley’s unhoused residents.

Daria Wrubel

Daria Wrubel is a child and young adult therapist born and raised in Berkeley. Wrubel’s platform is centered on building more housing of all types, public safety, protecting civil liberties and improving city services to “support our most vulnerable.”

Wrubel’s endorsements include incumbent Berkeley District 7 Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra, Berkeley School Board Directors Jen Corn and Jennifer Shanoski, and Chair of Berkeley Rent Board Soli Alpert.

Kelsea “KJ” Jackson

The Daily Californian was unable to find more information about this candidate.

District 4

Igor Tregub

Igor Tregub was elected to the Berkeley City Council in May 2024, having previously served on multiple local commissions, including eight years on the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board. His platform includes prioritizing a safe and vibrant Downtown, climate leadership and embracing public transit, bike infrastructure and walkability.

Tregub’s endorsements include Congressmember Lateefah Simon, State Senator Jesse Areguin, Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii and six current council members.

Majdi “Gaith” Abuhamdieh

The Daily Californian was unable to find more information about this candidate.

District 7

Aidan Hill

Aidan Hill is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a Berkeley resident since 2016. According to their campaign website, Hill previously served as Vice Chair of the Berkeley Homeless Commission and works as a medical case manager. Their platform includes approving more housing, protecting public land and increasing the efficiency of city services.

Syrak Micael

Syrak Micael is a UC Berkeley graduate born and raised in Berkeley who was previously elected to serve as the ASUC’s Transfer Student Representative at UC Berkeley in 2024. His platform includes promoting affordable housing and tenant protections, building public safety and protecting labor workers and small businesses.

Micael’s endorsements include incumbent District 7 Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra, District 3 Councilmember Ben Bartlett, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and ASUC President Margaret Solomon.

District 8

Fred Feller

The Daily Californian was unable to find more information about this candidate.

Mark Humbert

Mark Humbert is a graduate from UC Berkeley School of Law who was elected to the Berkeley City Council in 2022, having previously served on multiple local commissions. Humbert’s platform includes enhancing public parks and streets, building affordable housing and supporting first responders.

Humbert’s endorsements include State Senator Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii, State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and six Berkeley city council members.

Mari Mendonca

The Daily Californian was unable to find more information about this candidate.

Michael Wallman

The Daily Californian was unable to find more information about this candidate.

Ballot Measures

Measure U: General Obligation Bond Measure for Public Infrastructure and Facilities

This measure would authorize the city to issue up to $300 million in general obligation bonds to fund infrastructure and facilities work. The improvements are aimed at emergency response facilities, parks and recreation infrastructure, updates to seismic and climate resiliency and replacing existing natural gas infrastructure. This requires more than ⅔ of the votes to pass.

Measure V: Transactions and Use General Tax Measure

This measure would add a new 0.5% sales and use tax within Berkeley, collected by the state. The proceeds from this tax would be deposited into the city’s general fund. This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.

Measure W: Charter Amendment Measure to Amend Multiple Administrative Provisions

This charter amendment modifies filing fees, candidate statements, the Fair Elections Fund, recall procedures, referendum timelines and vacancy and redistricting. This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.

Measure X: Amendments to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance

This measure would update Berkeley’s rent control law with a mix of protections to tenants and administrative changes. This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.

Measure Y: Initiative Ordinance Creating a Parcel Tax to Fund Arts Institutions and Programs

This measure would create a 12-year parcel tax of $0.07 per square foot of improvements for a new “Arts Vitality Fund.” This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.

Measure Z: Initiative Ordinance Creating a Parcel Tax to Fund a Public Bank

This measure would create a parcel tax — $0.06 per square foot for residential properties and $0.09 per square foot for nonresidential properties — to capitalize and support a public bank. This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.

Measure AA: Initiative Ordinance Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Special Tax

This measure would raise the existing soda tax in Berkeley from 1 cent to 2 cents per fluid ounce, converting it from a general tax to a special tax. This requires a simple majority of votes to pass.