Three citywide choices
- Mayor
- At-Large Councilmember
- Preserving General Services Measure
NOVEMBER 3, 2026 • PACIFIC GROVE
Know your local ballot
before it arrives.
Candidate names are grouped under the office and voting area where they belong, with plain-language guidance and direct links to the official record.
Guide statusOfficial City Clerk record reviewed August 8, 2026
AT A GLANCE1city ballot measure
LOCAL RACES5city offices
This page currently covers Pacific Grove municipal choices. County, state and federal contests will be added when Monterey County publishes the certified ballot and voter guide.
01WHAT WILL BE ON MY BALLOT?
Your district race
District 1, 3 and 5 council seats are scheduled in this election. Only the district contest for your address will appear on your ballot.
Find my council district ↗Live in District 2, 4 or 6? The City Clerk does not list those district seats among the offices open in the 2026 election. You will still vote in the citywide races and measure.
02CANDIDATES BY OFFICE AND AREA
Find the heading that will matter on your ballot.
All names below are listed as qualified by the Pacific Grove City Clerk. They are grouped by contest for clarity; the order shown here is not certified ballot order and is not an endorsement.
ABOUT THE SHORT BIOS: These are plain-language summaries of candidate-submitted statements or required city disclosures. They identify background and experience, but MyPG.news has not independently verified every biographical claim.
01
CITYWIDE
Mayor
Every Pacific Grove voter2-year term • one seat
This race appears on every Pacific Grove city ballot. The mayor is elected by voters across the entire city.
MEET THE CANDIDATES2 qualified candidates
- Luke ColettiQualified August 3
A former Pacific Grove councilmember and public-policy advocate. In his candidate statement, Coletti says he has worked on local-government accountability for more than a decade and authored the citizen referendum on the mayor and council pay increase.
Source: candidate-submitted statement - Nick SmithQualified July 27
Pacific Grove’s incumbent mayor and a former councilmember. Smith’s statement describes him as the father of three PGUSD students and highlights work on the city’s climate plan, housing element, district-election transition, budgeting and capital projects.
Source: candidate-submitted statement
02
CITYWIDE
At-Large Councilmember
Every Pacific Grove voter2-year term • one seat
This race also appears citywide. An at-large councilmember represents the entire city rather than a single council district.
MEET THE CANDIDATES2 qualified candidates
- Lori McDonnellQualified July 27
An incumbent councilmember and researcher who serves on the Community Human Services and AMBAG boards. McDonnell reports an MA in psychology and research experience at NASA, the Veterans Administration and Stanford School of Medicine.
Source: candidate-submitted statement - James OgleQualified August 5
Ogle identifies his occupation as artist and reports no prior public office. His required city disclosure lists education or training at the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Oregon’s architecture program, the University of Alabama and Monterey Peninsula College.
Source: required Charter Article 8 disclosure
03
DISTRICT 1
District 1 Councilmember
Only voters who live in District 14-year term • one seat
This contest appears only on ballots for addresses inside District 1. The winner represents District 1 on the City Council.
MEET THE CANDIDATES2 qualified candidates
- Cynthia GarfieldQualified July 20
A current appointed councilmember who previously served an elected council term from 2016 to 2020. Garfield reports master’s degrees in business/entrepreneurship and social-work administration, along with nonprofit-board and community volunteer service.
Source: candidate-submitted statement - Kevin HanleyQualified July 27
A former mayor and councilmember in Auburn, California, and a former naval officer. Hanley’s statement also lists work as a California Legislature health-policy consultant, Chamber of Commerce CEO and economics instructor; he says he moved to Pacific Grove six years ago.
Source: candidate-submitted statement
04
DISTRICT 3
District 3 Councilmember
Only voters who live in District 34-year term • one seat
This contest appears only on ballots for addresses inside District 3. The winner represents District 3 on the City Council.
MEET THE CANDIDATES3 qualified candidates
- Tara LewelingQualified July 23
An Air Force veteran of nearly 22 years, including service at the White House, and a former senior financial-services executive. Leweling owns a local strategic advisory firm and says her connection to Pacific Grove began while stationed at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1999.
Source: candidate-submitted statement - Susan GoldbeckQualified July 30
A Pacific Grove resident of more than 30 years, former city councilmember and former planning commissioner. Goldbeck reports having operated a law practice and The Beacon newspaper in Pacific Grove.
Source: candidate-submitted statement - Andrew KubicaQualified August 4
A 20-year Pacific Grove resident, current Planning Commission chair, former Traffic Commission member and CERT volunteer. Kubica reports an aerospace-engineering degree from Notre Dame and several decades in systems engineering at Lockheed Martin.
Source: candidate-submitted statement
05
DISTRICT 5
District 5 Councilmember
Only voters who live in District 54-year term • one seat
This contest appears only on ballots for addresses inside District 5. The City Clerk currently lists one qualified candidate for the seat.
MEET THE CANDIDATES1 qualified candidate
- Chris ThomasQualified July 20
A retired and relatively new Pacific Grove resident who previously led a condominium association in Chicago. Thomas reports a BA in economics from the University of Texas, an MBA in finance from the Wharton School and experience with budgets, reserves and capital projects.
Source: candidate-submitted statement
HOW TO USE THIS SECTION
Start with the two citywide races, then find your council district. Read the short introductions, open each available filing, and compare candidates seeking the same office. More source-linked information—including forums, interviews, campaign finance and issue positions—can be added as it becomes available.
03CITYWIDE BALLOT MEASURE
EVERY PACIFIC GROVE VOTEROfficial measure letter still pending
Preserving General Services Measure
“Shall the measure…establishing a 0.375% transactions and use (‘sales’) tax, providing approximately $1,000,000 annually for 10 years, with independent audits, and all money locally controlled, be adopted?”
IF YOU VOTE YES
You are voting to establish the 0.375% local transactions-and-use tax for ten years under the terms in the measure.
IF YOU VOTE NO
You are voting not to establish this proposed local tax.
What would change
A 0.375% local transactions-and-use tax would be added for ten years.
City revenue estimate
Approximately $1 million per year, according to the ballot language.
Stated purpose
General city services, including streets, sidewalks, beaches, parks, facilities, fire, paramedic, crime prevention and 9-1-1 response.
Oversight in the measure
Independent audits and local control of the revenue are stated in the measure.
WHY IT MATTERS
Voters are deciding whether to raise the local sales-tax rate for a fixed ten-year period. Because this is described as a general-services tax, the official text—not campaign messaging—is the best place to examine its legal terms, duration and accountability requirements.
Primary recordResolution 26-023 and full measure text ↗Election statusPacific Grove City Clerk election page ↗
DOCUMENTS STILL TO COMEImpartial analysis and primary arguments due August 13Rebuttals due August 20Public-review periods: August 14–24 and August 21–31
MyPG.news will label official analysis, arguments for, arguments against and rebuttals separately when filed.
04FOLLOW THE RECORD
Read beyond the summary.
Pacific Grove City ClerkLocal election notices, candidates and ballot-measure documentsMonterey County ElectionsCertified ballot, voter guide, deadlines and results when postedCampaign disclosuresPacific Grove FPPC filings and campaign-finance resources
Editorial rule: MyPG.news does not advocate for or against a candidate or measure. Official analyses, candidate statements, campaign arguments and newsroom explanations are labeled separately. This guide will be corrected and expanded as official election documents are filed.