Eureka City Council candidates released; Mayor application extended

EUREKA, Calif. — The Eureka General Municipal Election is coming up this November and a new face on the council is expected to appear on the ballot in nearly every race.

The nomination period for City Council positions closed on August 12, but the application period for mayor has been extended to this Wednesday, August 17.

City Council Ward 1

Running for reelection in Ward 1 is Leslie Castellano, who has served on the council since December 2018. Castellano is running unopposed. In the past, she has voted in favor of various environmental preservation and city beautification measures among other proposals.

City Council Ward 3

In District 3, two candidates are running for the seat currently occupied by Natalie Arroyo, who recently won her election to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

One of these candidates is G. Mario Fernandez, who served on the Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees from 2018 to 2022.

Fernandez's opponent is Certified Public Accountant John Fullerton, whose main concerns include homelessness and crime.

City Council Ward 5

There are two candidates for Ward 5 as well. Nicholas Kohl, who currently owns and operates Oberon Grill in Eureka, is one of them. Kohl's main priorities include educational and interactive engagement with Cal Poly Humboldt, modernization of parking facilities and affordable housing.

Running against Kohl is Renee Contreras Deloach, who said she plans to prioritize safer neighborhoods, thriving businesses and creating more housing.

Eureka Mayoral Election

Currently, the only candidate for Eureka Mayor is current councilmember Kim Bergel, who has been representing Ward 5 since 2018. Before that, she served as Council Ward 3 Representative from 2014 to 2018.

According to her website, some of her main concerns include improving the city's quality of life, addressing the mental health crisis, supporting business development, improving access to health care, increasing traffic safety and supporting the cannabis community.