#1 — Gold Ridge Fire District gets four new directors, all women with extensive fire department experience
The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District will have four new board members, all of them women with long experience in the fire service. None of the four incumbent board members retained their seats. Voters from new areas served by Gold Ridge sought new board members to represent their interests.
The winners were:
Shannon J. Shaffer-Killey - 3,071 votes
Tara Daniels - 2,834 votes
Christina Gibbs - 2,771 votes
Kathleen Molloy Gilbraith - 2,570 votes
“I am super excited and have communicated with my new Gold Ridge Fire Board members,” said Kathleen Gilbraith. “We are all ready for this position and excited to get started. I was, personally, surprised how the seats flipped so clearly in this election. I know merging departments is a hard road to navigate, and a transparent plan and clear constant communication helps.”
She thanked outgoing board members. “I am grateful for their work and efforts thus far.”
When asked why she thought all new board members were voted in Gilbraith replied: “I believe the voters were looking for more communication and collaboration during this next phase of the merger as we support and help build Gold Ridge Fire District into a dynamic larger department serving the community and keeping our firefighters healthy!”
Tara Daniels, another winner this election, said she felt the district’s fast-paced growth required a different kind of board leadership.
“While I thank the incumbents for a job well done managing the district thus far, I think the turnover to new board members reflects that the community sees the need for the district’s priorities to shift as it continues to grow,” she said.
“My hope for the district moving forward, with four new directors who all have backgrounds in public safety careers, is a prioritization of providing improved emergency services to the entire district above all else. As I have heard, all of my running mates recognize that the district is in a state of needing to adjust to its fast-paced growth. I foresee us focusing on shoring up the structure and policy that is needed to support providing excellent emergency services.”
Daniels also attributes her success to the modern approach she took to campaigning.
“I ran my campaign primarily through publishing reels on Facebook and Instagram, in which I discussed the issues that brought me to run for the position, and my sincere desire to see fast and reliable emergency services available throughout the entire district. I think my candor and sincerity were well received for the most part, and that this is what brought me high numbers of votes.”
#2 — Sebastopol ousts its incumbent mayor
Mayor Jill McLewis, a favorite among the vocal faction of budget-minded council critics, didn’t win re-election. In fact, she came in fifth place behind newcomer Kyreen Jorgensen, who made a strong showing in her first-ever race.
What happened? Even McLewis’s longtime supporters are scratching their heads.
“I don't think she did any kind of campaigning at all,” said one McLewis fan. “I saw one sign. I didn't see a mailer. I don't know. I just feel like the other people were much more proactive.”
Another McLewis supporter thought some of her decisions over the years had angered key constituencies, like volunteer firefighters still angry about the consolidation with Gold Ridge, and business owners unhappy with her support for a new, more expensive waste hauler.
“Probably not fair to blame Jill; she inherited the task of finishing the [fire department] integration,” that supporter wrote the Sebastopol Times. “She made business owners mad with the change of trash haulers. Again, not sure it was a bad decision, and it has turned out OK from what I can tell.”
He summed up her loss this way. “She might be a little too practical and not idealistic enough for this city?”
McLewis announced at the candidate forum at the Grange that she wasn’t seeking any endorsements this time around—though she got one from Mike McGuire, who has won his race for Congress in the 1st District. Nor did she raise any money, except for a single $1,000 donation. Many of the larger donors who supported her campaign in 2022 threw their cash at Ian Hoff this time around.
McLewis was also very public about her health issues. She struggled bravely with breast cancer treatment in 2025—and though she seems fully recovered, perhaps voters weren’t willing to take a chance. It would be a pity if this played into voters’ decisions.
Being a councilmember meant a lot to McLewis. She choked up slightly when she spoke about it at the council forum at the Grange in October: “I just wanted to say that it is a true honor to say that I’m the mayor of Sebastopol. I wear that badge very proudly.” At that same forum, she also said she felt “so deeply touched” that she has had the opportunity to represent Sebastopol.
#3 — Only one school board incumbent unseated
Almost all of the local board races saw the incumbents re-elected. The one exception was Twin Hills District, where Anna-Maria Guzman, a former Superintendent at Twin Hills, won a board seat in the district, beating out incumbent John Moise. Two other incumbents, Rebecca Houghton and Jeff Harding, were re-elected. In some school districts, candidates ran unopposed and were not on the ballot.
West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) incumbent Lewis Buchner in Trustee District 5 (Sebastopol) won his contest handily with 68% of the vote, compared to 31% for challenger Dani Sheehan-Meyer. We are puzzled by the 597 voters who still voted for Sheehan-Meyer, even after she dropped out of the race toward the end of the campaign. Did they not get the memo (or the Sebastopol Times)? Or was it just a protest vote against the status quo?
#4 — School parcel taxes passed, one barely
Two parcel taxes, each needing a two-thirds vote, passed. Measure M, Harmony School District’s parcel tax, just barely met the two-thirds of the vote it needed with 66.60% of the vote. With 1,218 total votes, 810 voted “yes.” In March of 2024, Harmony’s Measure D, a bond authorization, required 55% of the vote and passed with 56% in favor. This measure will levy $30 per $100,000 in assessed value of properties/parcels in that district.
Measure G, West County Union High School District’s parcel tax, passed with 74.28% of the votes. With 12,051 total votes, the measure received 8,952 “yes” votes to extend the existing parcel tax of $79 a year.
#5 — Statewide redistricting worked for Democrats
Because of redistricting, many of those who live in Sebastopol and West County who have been in Congressional District #2 will be in either District #1 or District #2 starting in 2027.
Neighbors on opposite sides of Watertrough, Ferguson or Mill Station Roads, who were all in District #2, will be in different districts when the new district map takes effect.
The 2026 elected candidates for the redrawn districts. District 2 incumbent Democrat Jared Huffman won easily, and District 1 went to Democrat Mike McGuire who unseated the Republican James Gallagher by getting two-thirds of the vote. Thus, by blending coastal Democrats into two traditionally Republican, redistricting created a new Congressional seat for Democrats by taking it away from Republicans.
In an email to supporters, McGuire referred to the region as the North State. He wrote: “Over this past year, we hosted nearly 60 town halls and community meetings in every corner of this amazing place we call home. It’s those conversations that give me great hope for the future. Time and time again, no matter if you’re a Republican in Susanville or a Democrat in Santa Rosa, we heard loud and clear that there’s more that unites us than divides us.”
#6 — Voter turnout was modest
While there are still some votes outstanding, it looks like rought one-third of registered voters in Sonoma County voted in this election.
In 2024, which was a presidential election, 82% of registered voters participated. That’s basically 100,000 voters this year, as opposed to 250,000 voters in 2024. In 2022, when Governor Newsom was elected, there were 200,000 voters.
As usual, voter turnout was higher in Sebastopol. Out of 5,772 registered voters, 2,120 cast a vote in the Sebastopol City Council race, for a turnout of 36.7%, according to figures from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters. This may grow as the late deciders and other straggler votes are counted.
#7 — Support for Billionaire Tax Split West/East
In Sonoma County, Prop 40, the so-called one-time Billionaire Tax, was pretty evenly split, with Yes votes ahead by 1 percentage point, even though statewide, Prop 40 appears to be losing. In Sonoma County, the West voted in favor of Prop 40 and the East voted against it.
I am grateful for my 597 votes! Thank you and I plan to be proactive when it comes to the Special Needs Consortium.
Again I don't understand how you can call these races with less than or about half the votes not counted. New results today at three.