The nomination period opened July 15 and will close at 5pm Aug. 9 for candidates for local elected offices on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The closing date can be extended to Aug. 14 for offices in which an eligible incumbent has not filed to run for reelection, according to elections officials.
In Morgan Hill, three seats on the city council—including that of the mayor—as well as three seats on the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. The City Treasurer’s next four-year term is also up for election Nov. 5.
Three seats on the Gavilan College Board of Trustees are also up for grabs in the general election, as are four seats on the Santa Clara County Board of Education.
“The nominations process is the first major step in preparing for an election and one of the most foundational stages of the democratic process,” said Matt Moreles, Acting Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. “Our team takes pride in making the process to get on the ballot inclusive and accessible, promoting greater ballot access for a diverse range of candidates.”
Morgan Hill’s voters will also get to decide on two local measures on the Nov. 5 ballot—one that could lengthen the mayor’s term from two to four years, and one that would set term limits on those who serve in all of the city’s elected offices.
The two city council seats on the Nov. 5 election represent Districts A and C, which are currently occupied by Gino Borgioli and Rene Spring, respectively. Spring announced earlier this year that he is not running for reelection, after serving two four-year terms starting in 2016.
Borgioli is planning to run for reelection for his second four-year term on the council. Borgioli pulled nomination papers earlier this week, and he has submitted a candidate intention statement for the 2024 election to the city clerk’s office.
David Dindak has pulled papers as a potential candidate, and filed an intention statement, for District A.
The only potential candidate who has pulled papers to run in District C, as of July 16, is Soraida Iwanaga, according to the clerk’s website.
Mayor Mark Turner announced in a press release last week that he is running for reelection as his first two-year term comes to a close.
Yvonne Martinez Beltran, who currently represents District B on the city council, has pulled papers to run for mayor. Martinez Beltran won reelection to her second four-year term on the council in 2022.
Turner noted in his press release that his candidacy is endorsed by the Morgan Hill Police Officers Association, Cal Fire Local 2881, the Peace Officers Association of California, five former Morgan Hill mayors and a number of business and community leaders.
Anyone interested in running for mayor, city council or city treasurer is encouraged to make an appointment with the city clerk’s office to pull nomination papers and then continue with the eligibility qualification process. City Clerk Michelle Bigelow’s office is located at 17575 Peak Ave., and can be reached by phone at 408.310.4678.
An additional qualifying period for write-in candidates for the Nov. 5 election will occur Sept. 9-Oct. 22.
Those interested in running for MHUSD trustee areas 5, 6 or 7; Gavilan trustee areas 2, 4 or 6; or county board of education trustee areas 1, 3, 4 or 5 should visit the Registrar of Voters’ office to pull papers and for other assistance. The Registrar of Voters’ Candidate Services Division is located at 1555 Berger Drive, Bldg. 2 in San Jose.
The registrar’s office offers in-person and online support for issuing and filing nomination documents during the nominations period, says a press release from the registrar’s office.
“We encourage candidates to make an appointment and begin the nomination filing process as early as possible,” Moreles said. “Our Candidate Services team can assist to ensure paperwork is completed accurately and on time.”
MHUSD trustees whose seats will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot are Area 5 Trustee Ivan Rosales Montes, Area 6 Trustee Mary Patterson and Area 7 Trustee Adam Escoto.
To determine what trustee area you live in, visit the district’s website at mhusd.org.
Gavilan Joint Trustee Area seats on the Nov. 5 ballot are currently occupied by Alicia M. Cortez (Trustee Area 2), Patricia Mondragón (Trustee Area 4) and Rachel Perez (Trustee Area 6).
Although four seats on the county board of education are up for grabs on Nov. 5, the election does not include Trustee Area 7 which includes Morgan Hill and South County.
Local measures
Two measures sponsored by the Morgan Hill City Council will also appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. Both require a majority of votes cast in order to be approved.
A measure on the mayor’s term of office reads, “Shall the measure to have the term of office for the directly elected Mayor of Morgan Hill be four years rather than the current two years be adopted?”
A measure on term limits for the city’s elected offices reads, “Shall the measure amending the Morgan Hill Municipal Code to establish a twelve consecutive year limit on combined mayoral, city council, and treasurer service be adopted?”
MUGSHOTS of Mark Turner, Yvonne Martinez Beltran
PULLQUOTE if needed
We encourage candidates to make an appointment and begin the nomination filing process as early as possible. – Matt Moreles
