Summary
Santa Barbara’s mayoral race between Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman is getting loud, with newspaper endorsements stirring drama. The District 4 council race has already drawn over $225,000, so if you vote here, this is the contest to watch.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 6
Impact analysis
More than $225,000 is already pouring into the District 4 council race, which means more ads, mailers, and donor influence.
Candidates who snag newspaper endorsements and big fundraising totals get a visibility boost—and voters get more signals, for better or worse.
Underfunded candidates and voters sick of money-heavy politics can get drowned out by the spending and endorsement drama.
Mentions & discussions (6)
How social media became a campaign tool for Santa Barbara City Hall candidates
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Kristen Sneddon: Santa Barbara Is Not for Sale
Santa Barbara is not for sale. That is what we need to tell major developers and powerful, well-funded real estate interests in Tuesday’s election. They have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into our ci...
He was homeless and nearly drowned, but Alexander Stoeber relies on faith, hope to inspire City Council campaign
It was a birthday party, and a six-year-old Alexander Stoeber was balancing on a bodyboard in an apartment swimming pool. He got brave and paddled over to the deep end. And then fell in. Young Alexander didn’t ...
Seven candidates vie for three Santa Maria City Council seats amid November election
Seven candidates are competing for three seats on the Santa Maria City Council in the Nov. 3 election, with two incumbents seeking to retain their seats and one open race. Facing a multimillion-dollar budget de...
Election Notebook analysis: Signs, social media and endorsements
A rookie move in political campaigns is to measure popularity of a candidate based on signs. Signs don’t vote. If they did, Matt Kilrain and his “Boat Rat Matt” signs would be running away with the mayor’s ele...
The ‘Santa Barbara Independent’ Endorsements for the General Election, November 3, 2026
Our Choices for National, State, and Regional Offices, and the Propositions By Indy Staff | October 8, 2026 Updated: October 14, 2026 Credit: Ingrid Bostrom These are the Independent‘s endorsements for the midt...
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