Santa Rosa District 4: Melanie Jones-Carter Leads Terry Sanders in Council Election

SANTA ROSA, Sonoma County — November 4, 2026. Melanie Jones-Carter held an early lead in Santa Rosa City Council District 4 following the November 3 election. KQED’s live county-results page showed 3,414 votes (57.5%) for Jones-Carter and 2,516 (42.4%) for Terry Sanders. The totals are still preliminary.

Two other council districts

In District 2, Mark Stapp was the only named candidate in the reported race and received 3,582 votes. In District 6, Jeff Okrepkie similarly appeared as the only named candidate, with 2,919 reported votes. Each district elects its own council representative. Their figures cannot be combined as if they reflected a citywide mayoral election.

Measure L: local sales tax

Santa Rosa also considered Measure L, a local sales-tax question. In the early county data reported by KQED, 20,406 yes votes (66.5%) exceeded 10,240 no votes (33.4%). The measure’s final status will depend on the completed count and applicable ballot law.

What residents should watch

Local council representatives help oversee city budgets, community facilities, housing and street improvements. Election-night totals do not complete the canvass; county officials will continue processing additional eligible ballots in the coming days and weeks.

Sources: KQED’s Sonoma County election-results dashboard and Sonoma County Registrar of Voters official results portal. The figures are an early post-election snapshot reviewed November 4, 2026, not the final certified results. As Petaluma Voice reported, the next county update is scheduled for November 5, with further canvass releases afterward.

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