Walnut Creek Voter Guide 2022: What's On The Ballot, Voting & More

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Election Day is Tuesday. Here in Walnut Creek, voters are choosing city council members, school board members and a county supervisor, and are voting on two local measures.

Registered Walnut Creek voters can cast their ballots by drop box, at a polling place or vote center, or via U.S. mail. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 8, and ballots returned at a designated ballot drop box must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

In most instances, Californians are not required to show identification to cast a ballot. However, those who did not provide a driver’s license number or a social security number while registering to vote may be asked to do so while voting for the first time in person.

Polling Places

These polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Find your assigned polling place here.

• Community of Christ Church, 1786 2nd Ave., Walnut Creek
• Event Center, 1021 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut Creek
• Faith Christian Fellowship, 860 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek
• Las Lomas High School, 1460 S Main St., Walnut Creek
• Mt Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek
• North Gate Road Chapel – LDS, 100 N. Gate Road, Walnut Creek
• St Matthew Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek
• Walnut Heights Elementary, 4064 Walnut Blvd., Walnut Creek

Drop Boxes

These drop box locations in Walnut Creek are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, until 8 p.m. on Election Day:

• Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek
• Walnut Creek City Hall, 1666 N Main St., Walnut Creek
• Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek

Vote Centers

These regional early voting sites are open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7:

• San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, 902 Danville Blvd., Alamo
• Brentwood Community Center35 Oak St., Brentwood
• Pittsburg Library – Community Room, 80 Power Ave., Pittsburg
• Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
• Walnut Creek City Hall, 1666 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek

Local Races

Walnut Creek City Treasurer

Ronald Cassano is running unopposed for re-election.

Walnut Creek City Council

There are four candidates for two seats: Brian O'Toole, Laura Patch, Cindy Eisley Silva and Matt Francois.

Measure O, City of Walnut Creek

A “yes” vote supports authorizing an additional sales tax of 0.5% for 10 years with revenue dedicated to general services.

A “no” vote opposes authorizing an additional sales tax of 0.5% for 10 years with revenue dedicated to general services.

A simple majority is required for approval.

READ MORE:

• Measure O: Walnut Creek City Council Endorses For November Ballot
• Ballot Consideration For Half-Cent Sales Tax In Walnut Creek

Measure J, Walnut Creek School District

Measure J must receive at least 55 percent "yes" votes to pass.

Yes or No: "To improve the quality of education; upgrade, modernize and renovate classrooms, restrooms, libraries and school facilities; upgrade energy efficiency; and make health, safety and security improvements, shall Walnut Creek School District’s measure be adopted to issue $134 million of bonds at legal interest rates, generating on average $8 million annually, while bonds are outstanding at a rate of approximately 2.2 cents per $100 assessed value, with annual audits, independent oversight, and no money for salaries or taken by the State?"

Walnut Creek School District

There are five candidates for three seats: Nithin Iyengar, Gail Contreras, Michaela Straznicka, Amiee Moss and Heidi Hernandez Gatty.

Acalanes Union High School District

There are seven candidates for three seats: Renee Nowac, Jennifer Chen, Christopher Severson, Mark Woolway, Gabe Ledeen, Nancy Kendzierski and Clayton Gardner.

Mt. Diablo Unified School District

There are three candidates for Area 1 Trustee: Debra Mason, AJ Fardella and Jeanette Green.

There are two candidates for Area 4 Trustee: Herbert Lee and Cherise Marie Khaund.

County Supervisor District 4

Debora Allen and Ken Carlson are vying to serve as the 4th District supervisor on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder

There are two candidates for clerk-recorder: Kristin Braun Connelly and Vicki Gordon.

U.S. House of Representatives, District 12

Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat, seeks re-election while challenger Michael Ernest Kerr, Green Party, seeks to unseat him.

California State Assembly, District 16

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat, seeks re-election while Republican challenger Joseph Rubay seeks to unseat her.

To view a complete list of local races and measures, visit the county election website.

Statewide Races

Millions of Californians will be called back to the ballot boxes this year to decide who will occupy the governor’s seat as well as a slew of other important statewide positions.

Golden Staters will be asked to vote on candidates for:

Governor

Gov. Gavin Newsom is up for re-election in 2022, and he’s likely to sail to another victory with ease after surviving a recall election last year and managing and dominating in the primary election.

Nonetheless, he will face opponent state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), whom he beat by nearly 40 points in the June primary.

Dahle’s campaign has raised just $2 million, while Newsom’s campaign has raised more than $23 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Newsom leads Dahle by a 27-point margin — 58 to 31 percent — among likely voters, according to a September Public Policy Institute of California survey.

The Democratic governor will debate the lesser-known Dahle on Oct. 23.

READ MORE: Rumors Of Presidential Run Swirl As Newsom Seeks Re-election

Attorney General

Attorney General Rob Bonta was appointed after Xavier Becerra became the first Latino to hold the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services seat.

Bonta, a Democrat and former state lawmaker, will face off against Republican Nathan Hochman, a former assistant U.S. attorney general and a criminal attorney. Hochman says the state needs a new attorney general who will combat rising crime.

Hochman got 18 percent of the vote in the June 7 primary, while Bonta won 54.8 percent.

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Democrat Ricardo Lara will run for a second term as insurance commissioner, a seat that is tasked with regulating the state insurance industry. Republican cybersecurity equipment manufacturer Robert Howell will challenge Lara in the general election.

He has described himself as a “Reagan Republican,” who says he’s committed to helping wildfire victims and insurance premiums that are “abusively inflated,” CalMatters reported.

Secretary of State

Incumbent Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, was appointed by Newsom after Alex Padilla ascended to his seat as a senator. She will face Republican Rob Bernosky, who describes himself as a “practical conservative.”

Bernosky, the chief financial officer of a tech company, is a longtime activist and former Hollister school board member. He previously ran for state Assembly in 2010 and in 2012 but was unsuccessful.

If re-elected, Weber said she plans to change the state’s recall system after the attempted recall of Newsom last year. Democrats argue that the recall process was abused.

“Very little conversation occurred about: Does this man need to be recalled? Has he done something so egregious that we want to remove him from office?” Weber told CalMatters.

READ MORE: What Would Shirley Weber Do Next As California Secretary Of State?

Controller

The race for controller in a California general election doesn't typically generate much interest, but June’s primary was among the most interesting races statewide. That’s because a Republican, Lanhee Chen, was able to advance. Chen opened the door for a Republican to have a shot at their first statewide office since 2006.

The state’s fiscal officer typically facilitates audits and serves on some 70 state boards and commissions.

In November, Chen will face Malia Cohen, a Democrat and member of the state Board of Equalization. Chen is a Stanford instructor and former top Republican adviser.

READ MORE: Chen Advances To Runoff For CA Controller

State Treasurer

Democratic incumbent Fiona Ma will face Republican Jack Guerrero in November. Guerrero is a certified public accountant serving on the Cudahy City Council in Los Angeles County.

If re-elected, Ma said her priority would be to meet Newsom’s goal of building 3.5 million homes by 2025, she told CalMatters.

Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Angela Underwood Jacobs, a bank manager who has experience serving as a member of the Lancaster City Council.

Kounalakis is the first woman to be elected lieutenant governor of California and said she wants to ensure a woman succeeds to the governor’s seat in 2026, hinting at a run herself.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Unlike the other statewide races, this competition is a nonpartisan one. In November, Lance Ray Christensen, an education policy executive, will try to unseat incumbent Tony Thurmond.

Statewide Propositions

Proposition 1

This measure would codify the rights to abortions and birth control within the California constitution. Read more about it here.

Proposition 26

California does not currently allow sports betting, but since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to legalized sports wagering three years ago, California has become the jackpot for the gambling industry since it has the most professional and college teams in the nation in addition to the largest population and concentration of wealth.

Prop. 26 is a constitutional amendment that would allow it in tribal casinos and racetracks. Read more about it here.

Proposition 27

Prop. 26 seeks to allow it in tribal casinos only and racetracks while Prop. 27 is a constitutional amendment that would allow some tribes and gambling companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings to operate online or mobile sports betting outside of tribal lands. The dueling propositions present a political cage match between gambling entities battling for control over the future of the billion-dollar sports betting industry in California. Because both propositions are diametrically opposed, the passage of both would likely trigger legal battles. Read more about it here.

Proposition 28

Prop. 28 seeks to set aside funding every year for arts and music education in California’s K-12 public schools. Read more about it here.

Proposition 29

Prop. 29 would require clinics to have at least one physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant on site when patients are being treated and to report infections related to dialysis treatment. Read more about it here.

Proposition 30

Prop. 30 would increase the tax on personal income above $2 million by 1.75% and dedicate the revenue to zero-emission vehicle subsidies, building charging stations and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gasses and hiring and training firefighters to help combat wildfires. Read more about it here.

Proposition 31

A California law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in stores and vending machines passed in 2020 but was placed on hold when a referendum initiated by the tobacco industry qualified for the 2022 ballot. Now, the issue is being put to the voters. Proposition 31 essentially asks voters: should the ban go into effect? A yes vote would uphold the ban. A no-vote would kill it. Read more about it here.

Prop 1: California's Abortion Rights Amendment Explained
Prop 26: CA’s Tribal Legalized Sports Betting Measure Explained
Prop 27: CA’s Legalized Online Sports Betting Measure Explained
Prop 28: CA’s K-12 Art and Music Education Initiative Explained
Prop 29: CA’s Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative Explained
Prop 30: CA’s Clean Cars And Clean Air Act Explained
Prop 31: CA’s Flavored Tobacco Ban Referendum Explained