San Rafael has one City Council race to watch, with Daryoush Davidi and Robert Sandoval competing for the District 3 seat. The contest is the city's only contested council race this year; incumbent Eli Hill is running unopposed in District 2.
As of 8:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Davidi was leading Sandoval by less than 20 votes
Voters are also deciding Measure W, which would increase the city's real property transfer tax. With the District 3 seat open, the election will bring a new representative to that part of the city, while the measure could affect how San Rafael raises money for city services.
Scroll down for real-time Marin County election results.
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As of September, the California Secretary of State reported that 23,164,977 Californians were registered to vote, which accounts for more than 85 percent of the state's eligible voting population.
Not surprisingly, there are far more registered Democrats than Republicans in the state, with 45 percent for the former and 25 percent for the latter.
In Marin County, the rate of voter registration is high. As of September, it was 95 percent — with 61 percent of voters registered as Democrats, 12 percent as Republicans.
Based on early voting, California is poised to see 60 percent of registered voters head to the polls, a record for a gubernatorial race, Paul Mitchell, of political data analysis firm Political Data told The San Francisco Chronicle.
While the governor's race was expected to be called early Tuesday, it's California's congressional races and ballot measures poised to offer the biggest upsets and surprises. Hanging in the balance is control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mitchell predicted that five key redrawn congressional districts appear poised to deliver Democratic victories driven, in part, by high turnout among Latino voters.
"I think the blue wave is on track," Mitchell told The Chronicle. "It seems to be on track that we're going to have a really strong turnout."
So far, voter turnout has been higher in competitive races such as the Central Valley's District 22 and the 48th Congressional District in San Diego — two districts Democrats hope to flip after their mid-decade gerrymander.
As of Oct. 29, Democratic voters represented 51 percent of ballots returned statewide compared to just 28 percent among Republican voters, according to the Political Data tracker.
The 2026 election for California's 2nd Senate District is an open-seat contest because incumbent Sen. Mike McGuire is terming out. The district includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma and Trinity counties. Democrat Damon Connolly, a state Assemblymember and former Marin County supervisor, faces Republican Tief Gibbs, a Novato small-business owner who previously ran for Congress in 2024. Connolly and Gibbs advanced from the June primary after finishing first and second, respectively, among three candidates.
California's 12th Assembly District race is open in 2026 because Democratic Assemblymember Damon Connolly is running for the State Senate. The district includes all of Marin County and portions of Sonoma County, including Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Cotati and Santa Rosa. Two Democrats advanced from the June primary and will face off in November: Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan and Rohnert Park Councilmember Jackie Elward. Lucan, who received the most votes in the primary, has emphasized his local-government experience and work on housing, transportation, climate resilience, and economic issues. Elward, an educator and former labor organizer, has focused her campaign on affordability, education, climate policy and housing.
San Rafael City Council, District 2
Incumbent Eli Hill is the only candidate running for San Rafael City Council's District 2 seat in the Nov. 3 election. Hill, 49, was first elected to the council in 2022 and previously served on the city's Planning Commission and Fire Commission. With no other candidate filing for the seat, Hill is running unopposed for another four-year term.
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San Rafael City Council, District 3
Two candidates are running for the San Rafael City Council's District 3 seat: Daryoush Davidi and Robert Sandoval. The race will determine the representative for the district on the City Council. The winner will serve a four-year term.
U.S. House, District 2
Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Huffman is seeking another term in the U.S. House against Republican challenger Robin Littau in California's 2nd Congressional District. Huffman was first elected to Congress in 2012 and has represented the district since then. Littau is a Coast Guard veteran, Redding business owner and former Enterprise Elementary School Board member. The redrawn district stretches from Marin County north to the Oregon border, including Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties. This is Huffman's first election under the district's current boundaries.
Measure P – County of Marin Childcare Initiative
The measure would impose a special parcel tax of 5 cents per square foot of building space, capped at 100,000 square feet per parcel, generating an estimated $12.5 million annually for 15 years. The money would fund childcare, preschool and early childhood education, improve compensation for childcare providers, and develop or expand early-care and education facilities. Administrative costs would be capped at 5 percent of annual proceeds, and the measure would require annual independent audits, public reporting, and community oversight. The tax could be adjusted annually for inflation beginning in its second fiscal year. It would require a simple majority to pass.
Supporters say the measure would help address Marin's shortage of affordable, high-quality childcare, expand available childcare spaces, improve pay for educators and allow more parents to remain in the workforce. They also point to the measure's restrictions on how the money can be spent and its auditing and oversight requirements.
Opponents argue that the measure does not establish specific spending allocations, income thresholds, or measurable performance requirements, and that its 15-year duration is too long. They also question whether it would directly reduce childcare costs for Marin families, note that the measure does not require beneficiaries to be Marin residents, and object to the lack of exemptions for lower-income homeowners or seniors.
Measure W – City of San Rafael
Measure W would increase San Rafael's real property transfer tax from 0.2 percent to 1 percent, generating an estimated $7.5 million annually. The one-time tax applies when property changes ownership and can be paid by the buyer, seller or both depending on their agreement. For example, the tax on a $1 million property sale would increase from $2,000 to $10,000.
The money would go into the city's general fund and could be used for services including fire and paramedic response, 9-1-1 services, street maintenance, storm drainage, parks and addressing homelessness, litter, and illegal dumping. The measure would remain in effect unless voters change it and would require annual audits and public spending disclosures. It requires a simple majority to pass.
Supporters say the additional revenue is needed as demand for emergency services grows and infrastructure ages, pointing to an estimated $4 million annual street-maintenance need and strained emergency-response resources. Opponents argue the tax is permanent, gives the city broad discretion over spending and would increase the cost of buying and selling property, potentially affecting housing affordability and mobility. They also question whether the city should raise additional revenue without a longer-term spending plan.
Measure N – Miller Creek School District
Measure N would authorize the Miller Creek Elementary School District to issue up to $67 million in general obligation bonds to repair and upgrade local schools, including bathrooms, plumbing, roofs, heating and cooling systems, electrical systems and classrooms.
The measure would also fund improvements to school security, accessibility and student safety. The district estimates the average tax rate at $27.55 per $100,000 of assessed property value while the bonds are outstanding, with an estimated annual debt service of $3.8 million. The average home in the district, based on 2025-26 assessed values, would pay about $245 annually.
The bonds could result in taxes being collected through fiscal year 2060-61 if all bonds are issued. Annual independent financial audits and review by a citizens' oversight committee would be required. Measure N would need 55 percent approval to pass. Supporters say the measure is needed to address aging schools, improve safety and wildfire preparedness, upgrade classrooms, and help the district qualify for about $7 million in state matching funds. No argument against Measure N was filed.
For more information, check out marincounty.gov/departments/elections.
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Gubernatorial Race
California voters headed to the polls Tuesday, facing high gas and grocery prices, the effects of climate change on wildfires and rising seas amid a shortage in insurance coverage and the ever-present housing affordability crisis.
The governor's race was somewhat anticlimactic following a chaotic primary with a crowded field of candidates roiled when the frontrunner was forced to step down amid sexual assault allegations. Since then, Becerra maintained a steady lead over Hilton in the polls.
In the final days of the election, a new SurveyUSA poll showed Becerra with a 22-point lead.
Click here for real-time results in the California Governor's races.
All 52 of California's Congressional seats were on the ballot.
Congressional races across California were under intense scrutiny following voter approval of Proposition 50, a partisan redistricting measure expected to reshape the state's political map. Thanks to the redistricting, only a handful of districts were truly competitive. Democrats hoped to flip as many as five Republican House seats in a bid to overturn the GOP's slim House majority.
Democrats think they can flip as many as five seats, with four seeming very much in reach, according to the polls. Both parties are spending like control of the House is on the line.
Click here for real-time results in California's Congressional races.
There were 14 statewide propositions on the ballot this week. Arguably, the most hot-button ballot initiatives involve taxation. Proposition 40 is the highly discussed billionaire tax, while Propositions 41 and 42 aim to counter the measure. Proposition 3 also addresses taxes on the state's highest earners.
Click here for real-time results for all of California's ballot measures.
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