Gabe Escobedo, battle-tested Santa Barbara City Council hopeful, wears his battle scars lightly

Gabe Escobedo rides an e-bike down State Street, takes breaks at the corner coffee shop and speaks off the cuff. He campaigns door to door at a measured pace, and he says he’s learned to not waste emotional energy on every conflict. “I don’t take myself too seriously,” said the former city Planning Commissioner and outgoing Santa Barbara Unified School District trustee. “I’ve been my most effective when I’ve been my authentic self.” The tone belies a public life that s unfolded in weighty and contentious ways—teacher wage negotiations that turned sour, a police oversight push that ended in distress, a personal bankruptcy and now the District 6 race for Santa Barbara City Council. District 6 Santa Barbara City Council candidate Gabe Escobedo knocks on a potential voter s door Wednesday near Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. (Photo by Tom Schultz/Santa Barbara News-Press) As Election Day approaches, Escobedo looks to succeed Councilmember Meagan Harmon. Downtown voters will