SLO City Council candidates contend to be voters’ top—and only—choice

Voters in San Luis Obispo are casting ballots in the city's first City Council election under a "vote-for-one" system — a change born from a voting rights lawsuit settlement that has reshaped how the council is chosen, according to New Times SLO (Atascadero).

While the race is playing out in SLO proper, the change carries implications for Atascadero readers who work in, visit, or follow government across the 805 region. It's also a case study in how voting-rights litigation is quietly redrawing electoral rules up and down the Central Coast.

Three candidates are contending for two open seats: incumbents Michelle Shoresman and Emily Francis, and challenger Brett Cross. Under the old system, voters could cast ballots for two candidates. Now, each voter selects just one, and the top two vote-getters win.

Why the Rules Changed

The single-vote method replaced SLO's previous format as the result of a voting rights lawsuit settlement, New Times reported. Similar lawsuits across California have pushed cities toward district-based or otherwise restructured elections, generally under the California Voting Rights Act, which aims to improve representation for communities that were diluted under at-large systems.

The practical effect in SLO: every ballot carries more weight. With voters limited to a single choice, candidates can't count on being a voter's second pick — they have to be the first. All three candidates, according to New Times, understand that dynamic heading into Election Day.

The Incumbents: Shoresman and Francis

Michelle Shoresman has served on the SLO City Council since 2021 and is a 30-year SLO resident. Her professional background is largely in the SLO County Public Health Department, where she worked on pandemic and public health emergency planning and HIV prevention and education programs.

"My main goal for the next four years is to finish things I have started," Shoresman told New Times, citing the South Higuera Complete Streets Project and hundreds of affordable housing units added to the pipeline since she began her city service on the Planning Commission in 2020.

Her stated priorities include boosting inclusivity, protecting open spaces and the environment, increasing and diversifying the housing supply, and addressing homelessness. She added that feedback from residents has sharpened her focus on "neighborhood livability and safe housing, especially for renters."

City Councilmember Emily Francis, a former Arroyo Grande High School social studies teacher who joined the council in 2022, is centering her campaign on housing and its ripple effects.

"After four years on council, I have a much deeper understanding of how interconnected all these issues are," Francis told New Times. "Housing requires water and transportation and infrastructure and economic vitality. You got to be asking yourself whether or not the people who work in the city can afford to live in the city."

Francis is also campaigning on affordable childcare, improving parks and public spaces, and keeping SLO on track for carbon neutrality by 2035. She highlighted progress on Righetti Park as a win for young families — a group she says lacked infrastructure when she first ran.

The two incumbents share a lengthy endorsement list, including Mayor Erica Stewart, 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, 30th District Assemblymember Dawn Addis, the Sierra Club, the local Planned Parenthood chapter, and the SLO County Democratic Party.

The Challenger: Brett Cross

Brett Cross, chair of Residents for Quality Neighborhoods and a registered Republican who says he wants to change "Trumpism," did not seek party endorsements. He describes his campaign as "grassroots."

"What I've noticed over the past few years is that the council is just not listening to what the public is telling them," Cross told New Times, criticizing the council's practice of not deliberating on public comment in meetings.

A lifelong SLO resident and retiree, Cross was once the city's primary parking meter coin collector. He is in an ongoing dispute with the city: his attorney sent a letter this year demanding his classification be corrected from contractor to employee, acknowledging a 33-year tenure — a matter now involving CalPERS and the Social Security Administration. Cross told New Times the city's termination of his contract fast-tracked a council run he had planned for 2028.

His platform overlaps with his opponents on paper but diverges in approach. He argues SLO's current bike lanes — including those along Marsh Street and lower Higuera — "lull people into a sense of safety" and should be moved to lower-traffic residential streets.

Cross also pledges a more transparent relationship between the city and Cal Poly, a sore point for residents who have dealt with unruly, unsanctioned fraternity parties. He warned that city staff want to remove "fraternity" from zoning codes, which he said could allow fraternities to operate in any residential area — a change he called a "nonstarter."

What It Means for Atascadero Readers

Atascadero residents watching this race are watching a broader regional experiment. Voting-rights settlements have forced cities throughout California to rethink at-large elections, and the outcomes in SLO — including whether the vote-for-one system changes who turns out and who wins — will likely inform conversations elsewhere in the county, including in North County communities that have faced or could face similar legal pressure.

The stakes are concrete: the winners will shape housing policy, transportation infrastructure, climate goals, and the town-gown relationship with Cal Poly for the next four years — decisions that ripple through the regional economy many Atascadero residents participate in daily.

The top two vote-getters will claim the two open seats when results are finalized.