Ryan Coonerty announces campaign for Santa Cruz mayor

Former Santa Cruz County supervisor and city councilmember seeks to become city's first directly elected mayor

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Ryan Coonerty, a former Santa Cruz County supervisor and city councilmember, has announced his campaign for mayor of Santa Cruz. Coonerty says he feels called to participate in this "big moment of change and crisis" and believes his experience will help the community navigate current challenges. He plans to focus on priorities like beautifying public spaces, addressing vacant storefronts, disaster preparedness, and governmental transparency.

Why it matters

Coonerty's announcement comes after Santa Cruz voters passed Measure E in 2022, which created a directly elected four-year mayoral term. This will be the second-ever direct election for Santa Cruz mayor, giving residents more say in who leads the city. Coonerty's campaign promises to bring his prior experience in local government to address key issues facing Santa Cruz.

The details

Coonerty previously served two terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, including one-year stints as mayor in 2008 and 2011. He also served two terms as a Santa Cruz County supervisor, representing Davenport, Bonny Doon and parts of Santa Cruz. Since leaving the Board of Supervisors in 2023, he has continued teaching at UC Santa Cruz and the Panetta Institute, as well as leading the nonprofit Leadership Santa Cruz County. Coonerty says he is endorsed by the current mayor, Fred Keeley, and the entire Santa Cruz City Council.

  • Coonerty served on the Santa Cruz City Council from 2004 to 2012.
  • He served as a Santa Cruz County supervisor from 2014 to 2023.
  • Measure E, creating a directly elected four-year mayoral term, passed in 2022.
  • Early voting for the upcoming Santa Cruz mayoral election begins on May 4, 2026.
  • Election Day is June 2, 2026.

The players

Ryan Coonerty

A former Santa Cruz County supervisor and city councilmember who is now running for mayor of Santa Cruz.

Fred Keeley

The current mayor of Santa Cruz, who Coonerty says has endorsed his campaign.

Martine Watkins

A former mayor of Santa Cruz, who Coonerty says has endorsed his campaign.

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What they’re saying

“I feel called, in this big moment of change and crisis in our country and our community, to participate and do what we can to restore trust and faith in government.”

— Ryan Coonerty (santacruzsentinel.com)

“At the end of the day, the mayor cannot do anything without at least three councilmembers' support. It's a team effort. I wanted to make sure that I had a good relationship with the whole council so that we could work collaboratively and get results.”

— Ryan Coonerty (santacruzsentinel.com)

What’s next

Early voting for the upcoming Santa Cruz mayoral election begins on May 4, 2026, with Election Day on June 2, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff election on November 3, 2026.

The takeaway

Coonerty's campaign promises to leverage his extensive experience in local government to address key issues facing Santa Cruz, from disaster preparedness to governmental transparency. His endorsements from the current mayor and city council suggest he is well-positioned to build the collaborative relationships needed to drive his agenda as the city's first directly elected mayor.