With more than two weeks to go in the nomination period for local candidates for the Nov. 5 general election, a total of seven people have pulled papers to run for mayor and three city council seats, according to Gilroy City Clerk Beth Minor.
The mayor’s seat as well as three posts on the city council will appear on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election. The council seats currently occupied by Rebeca Armendariz, Zach Hilton and Fred Tovar are up for election. Their terms end December of this year, and the next four-year terms will end December 2028.
Voters in Gilroy will also decide on a local measure asking to approve a quarter-cent sales tax for the city’s public safety on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Minor on July 23 offered that seven people have pulled papers for a potential run for local office, but did not provide their names or specify which offices they were interested in. As of July 23, two candidates have filed their paperwork to run.
Mayor Marie Blankley, who was elected to her first four-year term, is running for reelection on Nov. 5. Also planning to run for mayor is longtime Gilroy resident Greg Bozzo.
Hilton announced last year that he is planning to run for reelection. Tovar formally announced his reelection campaign on July 16. Armendariz said last week that she has pulled papers for a possible reelection bid, but has not decided whether she will seek another term.
The nomination period for candidates in the Nov. 5 election started July 15, and will continue through Aug. 9. For races where no incumbent has filed paperwork to run for reelection, the nomination period can be extended to Aug. 14.
Anyone who is interested in running for mayor, city council or city treasurer is encouraged to make an appointment with the city clerk’s office to pull nomination papers and then continue with the eligibility qualification process. Gilroy City Interim City Clerk Beth Minor’s office is located at 7351 Rosanna Street, and can be reached by phone at 408.846.0204.
Also on the Nov. 5 ballot are three seats on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education. Three seats on the Gavilan College Board of Trustees are also up for grabs in the general election.
Those interested in running for GUSD Trustee Areas 2, 5 or 6; Gavilan trustee areas 2, 4 or 6; or county board of education trustee areas 1, 3, 4 or 5 should visit the Registrar of Voters’ office to pull papers and for other assistance. The Registrar of Voters’ Candidate Services Division is located at 1555 Berger Drive, Bldg. 2 in San Jose.
Expected to draw a large turnout of voters in Santa Clara County and nationwide, the Nov. 5 general election ballot will be headlined by the offices of U.S. President, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress, among dozens of state and regional offices.
