Editorial | Reelect Golder, Newsome to Santa Cruz City Council
In addition to electing a new mayor, Santa Cruz city voters in two districts on the June 2 ballot get to decide on who will represent them on the Santa Cruz City Council for the next four years.
Our recommendation is that both incumbents, Renee Golder in District 6, and Scott Newsome in District 4, return. Golder is opposed by UCSC student Gabriella Noack. Newsome is running against paraeducator Hector Marin.
The Sentinel Editorial Board met with the council candidates last week except for Marin who did not respond to an invitation to discuss his candidacy.
Golder first came onto the council in 2020 when she replaced a councilmember who was recalled. She was elected in the newly formed district in 2022. District 6 includes the lower Westside and part of the UCSC campus.
Golder, who has a demanding day job as principal of Bay View Elementary School, told the Editorial Board that if a strong, qualified candidate planned to run in her district, she would have stepped away from the council. And while Noack presented an impressive command of issues in our meeting, Golder's experience makes her a clear choice. We appreciate her ability to work cooperatively, and her candor in taking strong stands on issues such as cutting down on the "damn red tape" of delay-inducing regulations that has thwarted small businesses trying to locate downtown. She said the city needs a grocery store downtown and higher-end businesses to attract young shoppers rather than thrift shops.
Golder also said that the growing homeless encampment on Coral Street is "unacceptable" and agreed with mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty (who she supports) that if people with mental illnesses or addiction refused treatment they should be referred to CARE Court.
On housing, with the recent state-directed high-rise building boom in Santa Cruz she said her school has experienced a number of new families who have moved from outside the city into downtown apartments and that she'd like to see older apartments converted to condos so first-time buyers could become homeowners. Golder also cited her work on approved workforce housing for teachers.
Noack said she does not find "affordable housing" actually affordable for young families and students and that the priorities seem to be for housing attracting higher-income renters. She called for more living wage jobs for city residents and was critical of developers using skilled labor from outside Santa Cruz. She also favors progressive taxing on businesses and said the city needs to ensure day services for the homeless are readily available. She said "sweeps" envisioned for Coral Street would disenfranchise struggling local people who are experiencing severe PTSD and often unable to live in confined quarters. Noack, 24, said her age should not be an issue but rather that she has "skin in the game" living in Santa Cruz.
Hopefully, Noack will continue to speak up and gain even more practical experience in local government for future runs at public office. But Golder's command of city issues and experience make her our choice.
In contrast to his fellow incumbent, Newsome, whose district runs from downtown to the wharf, chooses his words very carefully. He has been a close ally of retiring Mayor Fred Keeley and said he has worked successfully on fighting for affordable housing in the city, even with the state taking a "lot of control" on the scope of housing development; reducing homelessness; and reducing the city's business permit process. He said Santa Cruz's downtown is better off than comparable cities in the region. He said he will continue working with the Santa Cruz Warriors as part of the downtown expansion plan and cited his success in getting building height limits reduced to eight stories.
Marin, who as we noted did not respond to our invitation, ran unsuccessfully for the council against Newsome in 2022 and against Sonja Brunner in 2024. In his campaign, Marin has said he supports permanent rent stabilization policies, establishing a city office of housing stability, and pursuing the progressive tax on local businesses making more than $1 million in order to funnel that revenue into affordable housing initiatives.
One other note: County election offices began mailing the vote-by-mail ballots to all active registered voters on Monday. Any registered voter may use a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day.
Our recommended choices: Renee Golder, District 6, for Santa Cruz Council; and Scott Newsome in District 4. For Santa Cruz mayor, Ryan Coonerty. For county supervisor, Tony Nuñez in the 4th District.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 1:41 PM.