Coonerty leads in early election results for Santa Cruz Mayor
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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Ami Chen Mills, left, and Ryan Coonerty are vying to be the mayor of Santa Cruz. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file) .scc-row:hover { background-color: #eee; } Last county update: 11/3/2026 8:00:00 PM SANTA CRUZ Ryan Coonerty led Ami Chen Mills for Santa Cruz Mayor in early election results Tuesday night. As of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, Coonerty had 58.1% of the vote, and Chen Mills had 41.1% of the vote. Vote tallies will continue to be updated throughout the night and in the coming days. Final election results must be certified by Dec. 3. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); Stay informed with upcoming decisions in local government and how to participate. Sign up for our free Sunday newsletter. Leave this field empty if you re human: Co