[Contra Costa, CA]
Quick Timeline of Contra Costa County Elections:
Late Feb 2026. As many positions were up for elections and many had no candidates even filing. This is when we reported Progressive media is not even questioning Unopposed races.
Late Feb 2026, I had ran a campaign that more than 65% elections in bay area go unchallenged lets put our names if you have 1% interest lets talk i will add the remaining zeros. Leading me to a discussion with 150 community members whom i spoke one on one to fill so many vacant positions and explained the advantages we have in campaigning against an incumbent as their information is in public.
March 6th 2026
The County Clerk role is critically important, which raises the question: why did the County Clerk not sound the alarm when candidate filing periods closed with no challengers?
Photo : Kristen Connelly and Pratima Sonavane
We now have Pratima Sonavne running for County Clerk-Recorder — someone genuinely interested in engaging the community and restoring trust in that office.
Other community members Deepika Naharas, Suzanne Chenault, Rishabh Rao and Kismat Kathrani all joined to run for office.
Photo Peter Kurumbi(Dy Auditor Controller) and Deepika Naharas (Corporate Finance Executive)
The County Auditor-Controller seat was held by an appointee when Deepika Naharas stepped in to challenge the Deputy Auditor-Controller. If you vote for Deepika, your vote counts — and you still retain her opponent, Peter Karumbi, as Deputy Auditor-Controller. She brings fresh solutions to the table. Voting for Peter Karumbi, however, gives him the additional power to appoint the Deputy Auditor-Controller in an office that has not seen a leadership change in 30 years.
Photo : Kismat Kathrani (20+ yrs Small Business Owner), Vince Robb (Dy Assessor), Nick Spinner(Works for CoCo County Clerk Recorder Office)
For County Assessor, three candidates are running: Kismat Kathrani, Nick Spinner, and Vince Robb. Vince Robb is the current Deputy Assessor — there's little reason to elect him if the status quo is what you wanted. With no candidate forum held by any organization, this is a difficult choice. For a true outsider, Kismat Kathrani stands out — Nick Spinner, while not from the Assessor's office, has been part of the same county government ecosystem.
Judge Jesse Hsieh (Incumbent), Valery Polyakov, Dy District Attorney
Superior Court Judge, there are twelve superior court judge position out of which only one has an opponent.(11 had no challenger). Voting in Valery Polyakov sends a strong message to the establishment that people voice and choice matters.
The broader point: the League of Women Voters in Alameda County hosted forums, while the Contra Costa County chapter cited lack of funds(Inspite of them doing this for all previous elections.)
A Unique Opportunity:
Since only third of people vote in primaries and most of these roles will be finalized, so this is the only unique windows to step up and vote where our voting power is multiplied due to low participation.
For more reason to vote, see what participants Navya Ramanan have to say in the Youth Democracy Contest.
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