Santa Maria voters now know who is running for mayor and two city council positions

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The official nomination period to file candidate papers to qualify for the upcoming General Election has ended in the City of Santa Maria.

With the deadline passing on Friday, Aug. 9, Santa Maria voters now know who is in the running for several races, including Mayor and two City Council positions.

For the mayor's race, current incumbent and longtime City Councilmember Alice Patino is running to retain her seat for a third term.

Patino, who has served on the Santa Maria City Council since 2000, will face three challengers in the General Election, which will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

Other candidates who have qualified for the election includes Diana Perez, William "Will" Smith, and Andrew "Andy" Foster.

The two City Council races, which are for District 1 and District 2, will each feature three candidates, including the current incumbents.

In District 1, which represents the northwest portion of Santa Maria, Carlos Escobedo, who was elected in 2020, will seek a second term and will face off against Maria Salguero and Adilene Rojas Alejo.

For the District 2 position, longtime City Councilmember Mike Cordero is seeking a fourth term.

He will face challengers Benjamin Ortiz and Gloria Flores for the seat that represents the northeast portion of the city.

There are two other races in Santa Maria, both of which will feature the incumbents running unopposed.

Current City Treasurer Teresa Hall is the only candidate seeking the position, as well as current City Clerk Patti Rodriguez.

According to the City of Santa Maria, to be eligible to run for Mayor, City Treasurer, or City Clerk, candidates must reside within the city limits of Santa Maria and be a registered voter in the City of Santa Maria at the time nomination papers are issued.

In addition, the City added that eligibility for City Council seats in Districts 1 and 2 requires that candidates must reside within the district boundaries for the council seat to be elected and be a registered voter within that district at the time nomination papers are issued. 

All of the elected positions for the City of Santa Maria serve four-year terms.