Three seats are at stake in Cloverdale’s nine-candidate City Council race, and the first count put Will Carter in the lead. The small business owner and IT technician had 20.98% of the vote in initial returns covering 1,606 ballots, posted after polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Steve Kawa had 17.34%, followed by former police chief Chris Parker with 16.15%.
The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters posted the preliminary tally shortly after polls closed. The remaining candidates’ shares, from lower to higher, were Jenn Neylon at 1.78%, Marjorie Morgenstern at 3.46%, Kelly Spagnola at 4.27%, Colleen Shields at 7.58%, Andrés Marquez at 13.35% and Kimberly Kern at 15.10%, according to The Press Democrat. The figures reflect only the first count and are not final.
The city's other incumbent, Morgenstern, and Marquez — who is completing his first term after being appointed to the council in 2024 — were both seeking to hold their seats against the seven challengers in the race. Cloverdale, a city of around 8,700 residents with roughly 5,600 registered voters, is also guaranteed at least one new council member regardless of how the count settles, since Mayor Brian Wheeler did not seek reelection.
Who's Running and What They Bring
The candidate field mixes municipal experience with outside résumés. Carter has worked as a small business owner and IT technician in Cloverdale, while Kawa has spent years as a political adviser in the San Francisco mayor's office, having served as deputy chief of staff and chief of staff for three San Francisco mayors, according to the candidate questionnaire run by the Press Democrat. Parker brings a law enforcement background as the city's former police chief, and Kern currently serves as superintendent of the Pope Valley Union Elementary School District.
Two of the nine candidates, Spagnola and Neylon, did not respond to the Press Democrat's pre-election questionnaire by its deadline, leaving their platforms less documented than their rivals' heading into the vote.
A Council Facing Growth, Budget and Water Questions
The council members elected will face decisions about growth, city finances and water. The Press Democrat’s pre-election coverage described officials weighing a proposed development that could substantially increase Cloverdale’s population, addressing a general fund deficit and confronting uncertainty about the region’s water supply.
The Esmeralda proposal is projected to increase Cloverdale’s population by 17% and annual water demand by around 20%. Those projections are part of a broader regional water debate: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is seeking federal approval to decommission the Potter Valley hydroelectric system, which has historically diverted Eel River water into the Russian River watershed. The Potter Valley Project plan includes removing the Scott and Cape Horn dams; a proposed two-basin solution would allow diversions to continue when Eel River flows are sufficient, particularly during wetter months.
Where the Project and Water Discussions Stand
The City of Cloverdale describes Esmeralda as a proposed project still undergoing its land-use entitlement review, a process intended to assess whether development is consistent with laws and community objectives. The Press Democrat reported in December 2025 that the council accepted a developer’s assessment of the project’s water needs; that was a separate decision concerning the proposal. On the regional water issue, Sonoma Water says the Eel-Russian Project Authority was created at the end of 2023 and empowered to negotiate with PG&E regarding surrender of the Potter Valley Project.
Looking Ahead to District Elections
This year's race is also the last of its kind in its current form. Cloverdale is set to shift from at-large elections to district-based council races starting in 2028, changing how future candidates will run for seats on the council.
Taking Part in Districting
As Cloverdale prepares to move from at-large to district-based council elections in 2028, the City of Cloverdale says residents can participate by attending public hearings or submitting comments and map proposals.
The Cloverdale contest unfolded alongside a broader slate of Sonoma County races and ballot measures. A county election-results page from the San Francisco Chronicle tracked countywide Measure H and supervisor races in two districts, noting that it only marks a candidate as leading in Associated Press–tabulated races once at least 35% of the expected vote is counted and the lead reaches at least two percentage points. Separately, Sonoma County's northern area is set to get a new representative on the county Board of Supervisors for the first time in 12 years. With just 1,606 ballots counted so far in the Cloverdale race, final results and the ultimate makeup of the council remain to be determined as the county continues processing votes.
