Santa Barbara Mayoral Candidates Talk State Street, Rent Rules, City Budget

Santa Barbara voters will choose their next mayor on Nov. 3, and the stakes are unusually high: the winner will inherit a city mid-way through the State Street redesign, the rollout of a first-ever rent stabilization ordinance, and a general fund budget that has only just clawed its way out of an operational deficit.

The contest features three candidates with deep résumés in local government — Councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman, and former Santa Barbara Unified school board president Wendy Sims-Moten — plus perennial candidate Matt Kilrain, who goes by "Boat Rat Matt," according to Noozhawk's candidate profiles.

Who's Running

Kristen Sneddon, 55, has represented District 4 on the City Council since 2017, winning re-election in 2021. A Santa Barbara High graduate, she studied applied geophysics at UCLA and teaches environmental geology at Santa Barbara City College. She has also served on the Governing Board of Peabody Charter School and sits on regional water boards including the Cachuma Conservation Release Board.

Eric Friedman, 49, has represented District 5 since 2017 and chairs the city's Finance Committee. He grew up partly in Santa Barbara, attended Monte Vista Elementary, and holds a history degree from Notre Dame and a master's in public administration from Cal State Northridge. He previously served on the Santa Barbara Public Library board and worked at Trader Joe's.

Wendy Sims-Moten, 64, spent more than 30 years with the County of Santa Barbara and is executive director of First 5 Santa Barbara County. She served on the school board from 2016 until stepping down in December 2024, telling Noozhawk she stepped back from public service after the 2021 death of her husband and is now ready for the next level of leadership.

Kilrain did not respond to Noozhawk's interview request. He previously ran for mayor in 2021 and lost, is currently suing the city alleging defamation, and was arrested Sept. 11 on allegations of violating a protective order, according to sheriff's arrest logs cited by Noozhawk.

The Budget Fight That Shaped the Race

This year's budget deliberations effectively served as the campaign's opening act. As the city faced depleted reserves, Sneddon publicly questioned why a 2025 council direction to replenish $2 million drawn from reserves had not been followed.

"I was genuinely shocked to see the recommendation was continued deficit spending, and the $2 million hadn't been replenished," Sneddon told Noozhawk.

Her critics on the council suggested at the time that she had been caught off guard by the dwindling reserves. Sneddon disputes that framing, saying her surprise was about council direction going unheeded — noting she had made the original motion to restore the funds.

Friedman pushed back, explaining that the Finance Committee had to close an operating deficit of roughly $10 million last year before reserves could be addressed.

"It is frustrating when it is said that we didn't replenish the reserves, because in order to start replenishing reserves, you have to get out of an operational deficit," Friedman said. He noted the committee worked with every city department to balance operations, ultimately producing a small surplus.

Going forward, both councilmembers said they back fully replenishing reserves using one-time funds from the utilities user tax. Sneddon also wants to redirect Measure C funds once they're freed up after construction of the new police station, while Friedman favors scrutiny of non-essential spending.

Sims-Moten, who has balanced budgets at both the school district and First 5, said she would work closely with the city's finance director to assess how Santa Barbara got into its fiscal position — experience she argues translates directly to City Hall.

State Street and Rent Stabilization Loom

Whoever wins will guide two of the most consequential projects in modern Santa Barbara history. The State Street redesign — the city's ambitious effort to reimagine its downtown corridor after years of vacancy and decline — will move into active construction, promising both disruption and renewal for merchants and residents.

At the same time, the city must implement its rent stabilization ordinance, a landmark policy that will test the next mayor's administrative chops and political instincts. Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing concerns for Santa Barbara residents, and how the ordinance rolls out will affect renters and landlords across the city.

The next mayor will also navigate what Noozhawk described as uncertainty around federal operations — adding another layer of unpredictability to an already demanding agenda.

Contrasting Styles

The candidates offer voters distinct leadership philosophies.

Sims-Moten is pitching herself as a unifier. "I'm a leader that likes to unify and align so that we can be together and move issues and policies forward so that they impact our folks who live here," she said. "When we align about things and when we're together on things, we move those things a lot faster."

Sneddon is framing the moment as a hinge point in the city's history. "I really believe we're at a critical time in our history and in our future, where we need a mayor who is forward-facing and honoring all that we've been and planning for what we need to be to face a changing world, but also to be responsive," she said.

Friedman is running on retail politics and results. "I'm on the ground, meeting people, getting results, and that's what we need," he said. "Having that understanding on how the city works, I will deliver on the services that the public demands, and I have a 25-year track record of doing so."

What Comes Next

With Election Day on Nov. 3, residents can expect forums, endorsements, and sharpening contrasts over the downtown construction timeline, rent rules, and fiscal stewardship in the weeks ahead. The winner will take the dais at a moment when Santa Barbara's finances, its signature street, and its housing future are all in flux — a confluence few recent mayors have faced.

Ballots in Santa Barbara's vote-by-mail system will arrive well before Election Day, giving residents an early opportunity to weigh which of the three experienced candidates — or the long-shot fourth — they trust to steer the American Riviera through its next chapter.