Both incumbents and four challengers will vie for two El Cerrito City Council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot

[Link to candidate packets on city website added at end of article.]

Incumbents Gabe Quinto and Carolyn Wysinger and challengers Mary Ann Jawili, Forrest Lanning, Wally Nowinski, and Kimberly White will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot to fill two four-year terms on the El Cerrito City Council.

Filing closed Aug. 7. Although four other candidates took out papers, Michael McDougall withdrew and Rahul Iyer, Gaia Sonatina and Megan Steffen did not file by the deadline.

This is the last time candidates will need to campaign citywide to gain a seat on the El Cerrito City Council. The city will transition to electing its council members by district in 2028. At that point, the city will be divided into five districts. Candidates will only be able to run to represent the district in which they live, and will only be voted on by voters in that district.

Quinto has been on the City Council since 2014 and is winding up a one-year term as president of the League of California Cities.

Wysinger was elected to the council in 2022. Her bio on the city website describes her as a lifelong Contra Costa resident, author, music junkie, 49er fanatic, vinyl collector, and foodie.

Jawili is identified online as a software engineer and cycling advocate.

Lanning is a structural engineer who worked for almost 15 years leading disaster preparedness and recovery efforts around the world. Most recently, he led the development of housing for families displaced by the Maui wildfires.

In a social media post, Nowinski said he works in marketing at a clean energy company and has long been active in Democratic Party politics.

White has served on the city’s Financial Advisory Board since 2022 and runs her own firm advising public sector leaders.

Candidates' packets, which include their ballot designation (profession), their candidate statement as it will appear in the voters' guide, and their FPPC Statement of Economic Interest, are posted at https://www.elcerrito.gov/1782/November-2026-Candidates