A local doctor, a retired public administrator, a local business owner, and a retired corporate director will compete for two open Murrieta City Council Seats on November 3, 2020. The seats represent District 3 and District 4, both in the western portion of the city, and will complete Murrieta’s transition to a district-based Council. Mayor Gene Wunderlich and Council Member Kelly Seyarto have announced they will not run for re-election.
Candidates David Kolk and Lori Stone each hope to represent District 4, an area that includes City Hall, The Colony senior living community, and much of California Oaks Road. Council Member Kelly Seyarto, elected at large in 2016, currently lives in this region. Seyarto is pursuing higher office and completes his term in December.
Lisa Deforest and Steven Brown are running to represent District 3, which encompasses Historic Downtown west to the Copper Canyon area. Mayor Gene Wunderlich, a District 3 resident, who was appointed to serve the remainder of a vacant at-large term, has also chosen not to run.
Districts 3 and 4 are the final two districts in the city to transition, and all five Council seats now require a member with residency in the district they represent.
“District-based City Councils can bring more local experience to the dais, while Council Members continue to represent the city as a whole in their decision-making,” says Murrieta City Clerk, Stephanie Smith, “We began the shift in 2018 and will complete the transition with this November’s election.”
Smith serves as the elections official. She oversees the City Clerk’s Office, which is responsible for candidates’ filings and nomination papers, City measures, and publication of all legal notices as well as campaign and conflict of interest filings required by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Learn more about the upcoming election, including interactive district maps and candidate statements at www.MurrietaCA.gov/elections.