Five candidates seek three Carpinteria City Council seats in November election

Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Carpinteria City Council in the Nov. 3 election, with two contested races and one incumbent running unopposed. Carpinteria voters in Districts 1, 3 and 5 will elect representatives for four-year terms that ll extend through December 2030. As the city faces a structural budget deficit, rising infrastructure costs and pressures to accommodate new housing while still preserving its small-town character, Carpinteria s next City Council will have to balance what the city can afford—with what it can t afford to lose.  Vice Mayor Mónica Solórzano faces challenger Aja Forner in District 1, while Alexandra “Xy” VanAntwerp and Randy Carrasco are competing for the District 5 seat being vacated by longtime councilmember Al Clark. District 3 incumbent Julia Mayer is running unopposed. District 1 Solórzano, who was elected to the council in 2022 and is currently serving as vice mayor, is looking to serve a second four-year term represe