There’s more to Election Day than campaign platforms. While candidates run on policy ideas and promises, they are human beings behind all those glossy mailers. The Weekly has made a tradition of asking about some of that behind-the-scenes work of campaigning, getting to know the candidates beyond their talking points. Here’s what a selection of them, both winners and losers, had to say on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.

Tyller Williamson, who was reelected as mayor of Monterey

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I’m going to be spending time with supporters. I’ve promised Ivan (my partner) some personal time. We’re going to be spending some private time together, just the two of us. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

This question. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

It’s hard for me to think about this, my head’s in different places right now. I continue to be impressed by the amount of engagement that exists in our community. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No. I’m kind of a go-with-the-flow kind of person. I definitely like to be around like-minded individuals, their positive energy. Because elections can be tough. Whether celebrating or consoling each other, it’s nice to be around folks that share my values. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

Heck yeah. One of my mom’s duty stations when she was in the Navy was in Connecticut. Growing up around there, there was an abandoned insane asylum. It was on the TV show Scariest Places on Earth. We would sneak in and have all the scary vibes, creaking floors, door moving, wind blowing, the feeling of visually seeing something. 

Monique Kaldy, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Monterey 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Reconnecting with my family and making sure my business is running properly, and following up with communications with residents and the city. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

I liked your first question. My immediate visualization was laying on a beach. I don’t think anybody came up with any really unique questions. I did get questions from voters about what to do about the sea lions and deer. My answer was to consult the appropriate wildlife experts. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

I don’t think there was much I learned that I didn’t know. When we were door knocking, it was breaking my heart to come across the amount of elderly residents that were living alone and seemed like they needed more support. It's really great to know we have Alliance on Aging…to know we’re helping those residents. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

No. That might be the most interesting. I did visit Stokes Adobe yesterday. 

[Then, via text minutes later: “I take back the ghost answer! Our power just went out. LOL.”]

Chris Barrera, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Salinas, coming in second

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I am going to be taking a week off just to relax and clean my house and hopefully take a little vacation. I'm looking very forward to that. 

I have a couple real estate deals going on right now, and so to complete that, because I fell a little behind in my real estate. It's going to be a time for catchup.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

For the most part, there were a lot of the same questions, questions regarding public safety and infrastructure or street sidewalks and potholes and housing. I would have to say that the community is focused on all of those questions.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

I learned that there's a lot of people out there that want to get engaged and involved now. They're taking the last three years of our city council doing a great job, and they want more of it. I thought that was very inspiring. I want to be a positive force in the community, keep the momentum going.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No, not really. I don't have Dennis [Donohue]'s phone number, or I would have called him up to to wish him luck. I’m going to call Ernesto and wish him good luck, just like I did in 2020 with Kimbley [Craig]. [Donohue won the election.]

Do you believe in ghosts?

No, I don’t. My family lived in the Los Coches Adobe in Soledad back in the ’40s and ’50s, and the stories my dad told me—he definitely believed in ghosts but I've never encountered that kind of superstition.

Ernesto González García, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Salinas, coming in third

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Normally, I hang around with my family at home. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

How do you solve the issue of the prostitution? Also about term limits. Other than that, people talked about housing and rent control.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

Going back to the prostitution issue, I spoke to some people who said there was some prostitution going on out of mobile homes there, in the Vallarta’s area; others said over by Natividad Creek Park. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No superstition. It's all about the information and the data.

Do you believe in ghosts?

No, I don’t believe in ghosts. Shadows and different things that happen. They all have an explanation. Sometimes we see a shadow go by. It could be the shadow of an airplane going by, the shadow of a reflection.

Aurelio Salazar Jr., who ran for and won a seat on Salinas City Council representing District 6

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

With any project that I do, I always debrief. I'll take a look at the campaign. I'll do your traditional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis. I'll meet with volunteers and other people that are involved in the campaign. As someone who is always thinking about the future, there's always like these lessons learned in campaigns, and I'm always thinking about helping the next candidate, and if there's any information I can share with anyone that's interested in the school board seat or city council seat or county supervisor seat.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

A voter wanted to know how old I was, and I said I was 50. And she said, “Wow, you don't look a day over 35.” She could ask about my endorsements, about issues, my experience. But this particular voter just said, “Oh, I'm just curious how old you are.”

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

I didn't know how bad some of our sidewalks were in Salinas. There's sidewalks that are uneven, but there was one in particular where it felt like I was reminiscing, thinking about being a high school student on a bike and using the sidewalk as a ramp. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

The first candidate to get their 4-by-8 sign up will win.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Absolutely. I believe that people that have passed away have the ability to speak to us. And you know what? In this campaign, there were a couple occasions where I felt like I was visited by family members who passed away. I don't know if you knew my uncle, Jesse Sanchez, but I thought that on one occasion he was present spiritually, and as a matter of fact, right before this phone call, I did happen to run into one of his former political allies, and thought again: just too strange of a coincidence.

Anthony Rocha, an incumbent Salinas City Council member who lost his seat for District 6

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I really want to spend more time with friends and family and supporters who have spent so much time and energy uplifting this campaign. I have so much gratitude in my heart, and I want to be able to spend quality time with them and just let them know how much I appreciate them.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

At a candidate forum hosted by Building Healthy Communities at the United Farm Workers, they asked candidates how the City of Salinas could play an active role in promoting public health, especially for Black and Brown communities. I think that's something that is often overlooked when it comes to city government. It really got me thinking about all the various things we could do at the local level to foster healthy communities rooted in equitable services and uplifting the health needs of our residents.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

I never realized how many dog owners there were in our city. Almost every door that I went to, there was a dog. I learned that Salinas is definitely a community of dog lovers, something interesting that I didn't realize beforehand.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

It's important to be consistent with the energy you put out into the world. So for me, my ritual, if any, is that I run positive, clean campaigns, and I work really, really hard, and the reason I do that is because on the day after the election, I want to wake up with peace of mind with how I ran my campaign, but also with no regrets about if there was anything more that I could have done to have impacted the outcome of the election.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I do. I think that there is so much more to the world than what is before our eyes.

Jean Rasch, Monterey City Council candidate for District 3 who so far is eking out a victory in a very close race

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I’ve printed out the group exercise classes at the Sports Center, and I've reviewed P.G. adult exercise classes. I’m enrolled in a ballet class I will continue. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

In a confounding, challenging way, it’s how do you go from pure off-the-wall ideas to getting them implemented? It’s challenging because it takes so much collaboration. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

That people are hungry for it, for community. They want to be connected, they want to be unified, they want to part of something bigger than them. What I advocate is what people want. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No. I’m gonna be down at City Hall at 4pm, commenting on the agenda, and am going to be busy all day. I’ll probably just focus on comments at the City Council. 

We put out the flag on our deck. I'm the daughter of a West Point graduate.

Do you believe in ghosts? 

Well, I’m not sure I’d use the word ghost, but the answer is yes. I have many experiences with ghosts, that includes the people who bought my grandparents’ home, they had a ghost in that house, and my grandfather visited their son. I believe there is more there than apparent. 

Eric Palmer, a Monterey City Council candidate for District 3 who is losing by a narrow margin 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I want to start running again. I’ve been running almost every day for the last 22 years, and I had to take a year off, which I’ve never done before. I’ve just been working so hard, canvassing replaced exercise.

Luckily, District 3 is really hilly and I get a lot of walking in. But it’s not that meditative experience of running and having silence. I’m looking forward to some quiet meditative space on our trails. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

That District 3 would be a much more affluent and possibly conservative area of Monterey, and I was surprised to find a lot more working parents and multigenerational homes. A lot of grandparents and parents had their adult children and grandchildren in their home. A lot more renters than I thought. I didn’t know affordable housing issues were going to be as prevalent in this district. 

Of course, there’s lots of property-rich and cash-poor seniors. People who’ve lived there for 20-30 years on fixed incomes. I had a lot of somber conversations with seniors, having to be displaced, and not be near their families. A lot of people are concerned about being split up from their families. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

I don’t believe in ghosts. I do enjoy hearing the stories about ghosts and aliens, hoping that they are real, but until I see it myself in person, I'm not going to believe it. 

Gino Garcia, an appointed councilmember who won the first-ever election in Monterey’s District 4 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Spending time with family; I’ve got family who came in from out of town. We’ll be just disconnecting from all the activity.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

The most interesting question is, what’s the most interesting question you’ve been asked. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

We have a community. Honestly this really became apparent to me as I was getting to know more constituents—the care and attention that our neighbors have for each other. Neighbors really pay attention in a caring way. Not that I learned it, but it stuck with me and I appreciate the whole experience. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I made it a point to really wrap this process up in my mind, in terms of expended effort by my team and volunteers to put out the word. I think we did a great job. I’m just going to step back and let things unfold and just enjoy the moment. Enjoy the craziness of the moment, and the anxiety, not only what’s happening locally but nationally too. It can be really stressful. It’s really a matter of trying to step back and have faith voters will do their thing. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

I don’t know that I necessarily believe in ghosts, but I do believe in other energies. 

Tina Rau, a candidate for Pacific Grove City Council who is eking out a victory for one of three seats

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

It may be time for a spa day. I think it would be nice to get back into a routine and make dinner once in a while.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Somebody sent me an email with five or six questions and the last one was his neighbor said I was a radical—what do you say to that? I thought it was kind of funny because I’m the least radical person on the ballot.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

The younger families and younger people seem more engaged this time. I did a lot of outreach to younger families. They seemed like they understood that there’s value to looking at who you have on the ballot locally. I think that's really healthy for democracy and who you choose. They're the ones that have to deal with what we’re leaving them.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I do not. I vote early, so for me watching people stand in three-hour lines is a little goofy.

Do you believe in ghosts? 

I do think that the people who have left you stay with you. If that’s a ghost, then maybe I do.

Dionne Ybarra, a candidate who lost in her bid for Pacific Grove mayor 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I am going to spend more time in the ocean. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

What was really cool was I had someone who wanted to put a sign on their door, a previous teacher of mine. He said he was really proud to support a former student of his.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

That people come from a place of fear. I was surprised that people were living in a lot of fear wherever they intersect with politics or the decisions the city makes. When you get down to the heart of it, it's because they're afraid.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

Stay as busy as I possibly can. I have my store [Alma Del Mar] upside down right now. I just want to be super distracted. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

Oh yes I do. I just believe there are signs, a presence…something unexplainable. If I hear a certain song on the radio, that is a ghost confirming or telling me, yes I’m here for you. 

Paul Walkingstick, newly elected to Pacific Grove City Council with the highest number of votes 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I am going to visit family in Richmond, Virginia. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

I was asked about UFOs, that was a pretty good one. 

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

I didn’t know that there was so much common ground and similarities between the far left and far right. They all want both voices to be heard. All people want to be heard by government and be included in local government decision-making. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

Saying no sounds so boring but I really don’t. I’ve very much come to a let-go-and-let-God mindframe right now. I’m not hung up on the outcome. I’ve done everything that I could.

Do you believe in ghosts? 

I’m going to go with the unsafe answer, yeah, I wouldn’t have thought I would. I actually have seen a dog of mine that passed away in 2019 twice now in the house. Am I imagining it? I don’t know. 

Jose Luis Barajas, who ran for—and is heading to victory—an open seat representing District 1 on Salinas City Council

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I’ll take a little break, a weekend break to mentally recover and recharge. Maybe beach time or a camping trip.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

I’m one of the youngest people in this race. The question I get a lot is: What experience do you have?

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

Sometimes there’s a disconnect between a candidate and people in the district. They have all their priorities. The housing situation is eye-opening. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

Elections are not about luck, but hard work to earn the votes.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I’m a Christian man; I believe in spirits.

Jenny McAdams, an appointed Marina City Councilmember who ran successfully for the District 3 seat

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I’m going to take a nap. I’m going to turn off social media and rest.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

People were really interested about Measure U and where I stood with it. That was the most consistent one.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

That people at the end of the day just really love being in Marina. No matter what side of wherever you are, we’re just all grateful to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. As hokey as that sounds, we’re just so blessed to live on the Central Coast.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I don’t typically. I just try to stay quiet and practice gratitude.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes I do. My grandma’s house in Del Rey Oaks was a retirement home. That house was haunted. I absolutely believe in ghosts just because I had an experience that I have yet to be able to explain.

Mike Moeller, candidate who lost his campaign for Marina City Council District 3

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

I have a lot of deferred maintenance around the house, yardwork, house cleaning and stuff. I’ll probably just catch up on stuff around the house.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

I got a phone call from a voter not too long ago asking me a lot of questions about Agenda 2030 and 15-minute cities. They wanted to know what my thoughts were.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

We have quite a few senior citizens that still live in their single-family homes that they have lived in probably since 1960 or so. A lot live alone on a fixed income. I’m concerned about our aging population and how they will be able to take care of their homes, and how they will prevent themselves from being taken advantage of.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I don’t really. I’ve never run for office before.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I do not. My wife absolutely does. She’s convinced she’s experienced that.

Jeff Baron, a Carmel City Council member who ran for mayor and lost, coming in second

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Who are you voting for for president? The question is usually asked that way, sometimes people ask me if I'm Republican or Democrat.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

You know, I knock on a lot of doors, and I’ve heard all sorts of things at peoples’ doors. One thing I heard a lot this year that I was pleasantly surprised by is, I love living here. I don’t know what to attribute that to, we are so fortunate to live here. Obviously I’m talking to Carmelites, and that’s different than someone in another community might say. But I've never really heard that in such numbers before. 

I think it’s a sign that things (in my community) are not as contentious as many people in my community would have us believe. A lot of people are really grateful and thankful and enjoy living in Carmel.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No, I definitely do not. I have a city council meeting day routine which is to just have a quiet day and review the packet. I do my stretching, I eat my overnight oats. I take the dog out, I have my coffee, in that order. But that’s usually how it goes every morning. 

Do you believe in ghosts?

No.

Dave Potter, Carmel mayor who lost in his bid for reelection 

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

My wife and I are going to play some golf at Spanish Bay.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Why would you do this again? To which I say, I don't think right now is a good time to change the leadership.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

No good deed goes unpunished. I think there's just an element of frustration out there that we've got a $43 million budget, you think that would be helpful. But people seem to want more of everything. I understand that nobody runs and says “I want to run because I think you guys are doing a good job.”  Everybody's critical, but boy, I tell you what, they're really critical this year.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I always go and vote at the polls in person. I like the feeling of being there and being actively involved instead of just sort of anonymously mailing something in. It's kind of fun. You know, you get there, people are glad to see you. It’s fun.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I kind of get a feeling every once in a while that I’m being watched by somebody. When you talk about ghosts, I kind of have a feeling my mother's watching me.

David O’Neil, who ran for and lost a seat on Carmel City Council

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

We're going to be celebrating gratitude. No matter what happens, we're going to be grateful about this wonderful community and all the fun people that are participating to try and make it a wonderful place. So no matter what, we're going to be celebrating, having a good time and seeing how we can support the people who are going to be leading us.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

One of the things that I found really interesting is when I'd go door to door, is, “Why would I want to talk to you if we're going to disagree?” And my answer is, “because we might learn from each other, and we might really appreciate that we had the conversation in the end.” 

I never had any really negative communication with people because, first of all, the people in this environment are really friendly, caring and thoughtful. We all care about this place and we want it to be wonderful. So we actually agree but just sometimes see a different way of how to get there.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

The thing that I learned that was very interesting is that: we agree on more than we disagree. And I think that that's a great thing to learn about humanity in general, is that the things that matter to each of us matter to most of us. We really just have different ways of trying to fulfill those needs. 

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I decided to just stay busy today. We just got back from going to Stevenson School and were doing a program with Carmel Cares where we're going to be helping the kids imagine how they can help out in the community, how they can be a part of designing new playgrounds and learning software and stuff like that. Then I’ll be going to a Rotary meeting that's in conjunction with Carmel Valley celebrating veterans. So I guess I'm celebrating the whole day.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I suppose ghosts mean different things to different people. I should say, I'm excited about the idea that there are things that we can't see or understand, and I'm maintaining a very curious open mind about learning. If there are, fantastic. How exciting. 

Dave Pacheco, Seaside City Council member who won reelection

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Kick back and relax. Actually, I’m going on a boat ride in Elkhorn Slough. I’ve never done that before. Relax and look at sea otters.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Nothing, really. People want to know your philosophy and your opinion of fireworks. I know a lot of people. They know me. Whether they like me or not, there’s a sense of awareness. You know what you got when you get me.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

This is my fourth campaign. Every campaign I walk the neighborhoods—visit 5,000 houses, thereabout. What I’ve noticed is the pride in people’s houses. People are putting money in their homes, making them look nice. I’ve seen this transformation in the neighborhoods.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I have many of them. I always go by the polls and thank people for voting.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes. Why not?

Alexis Garcia-Arrazola, Seaside City Council member who won reelection

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Go back to work.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

“What does a councilmember do?” There was a lot of educating again this election.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

What I found out was a sense of pride—more than I expected. People love the activities, they love the diversity of Seaside.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

One is being with my family. It’s a family reunion. We did it by Zoom in 2020, in person in 2024. I also order a large upside-down latte with two extra shots of espresso.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I do believe there are spirits out there.

Shanda LeBoeuf, candidate for Seaside City Council who lost

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Actually there were three. The two I can tell you: the parking situation and the streets, people speeding through neighborhoods.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

One thing is how much of an influence Black churches still have on politics in Seaside.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I’m trying not to focus on the local stuff. I’m back to focusing on the national stuff. I’m cocooning. I’m under my blanket, I’m with my big dog watching YouTube videos. I’m having a good morning.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I believe in spirits. I’m not sure about ghosts. But I can’t get too much into that because I’m a good Baptist girl.

Dennis Volk, candidate for Seaside mayor who lost 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

People feel their property rights are being taken away when they get a citation because they have a dumpster on the street or they have a short driveway and there’s a trailer parked at the back. We shouldn’t be forcing things on people.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

I’ve been here since I was a baby. I’ve been at the market [Mal’s, on Noche Buena Street] ] since I was 10. There’s not much I don’t know about Seaside. What I do know is that it seems people are paying more attention to local elections.

Margaret D’Arrigo, who won a seat for Salinas City Council District 3

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Probably go on some hikes and get outdoors while the weather's still nice. I love to hike in Toro Park. That's my favorite.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Everybody wants to know why you're running. That always makes you stop and have to really think about your reason. People say “You're so busy, why are you doing this?” and I just felt like it was the perfect job for me. So it was easy to answer.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

I try not to, I try not to be superstitious. I just try to be cautiously optimistic and open-minded whatever happens. I’m grateful for the experience that I've had and just hope for the best.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I love to do the Ouija board, and I love to sage a house when I move into it, so I kind of do those fun little things. I saw one in my other house; I definitely believe that there's good spirits. I don't think there's bad spirits. It was a woman, kind of floating through the living room. My kids, they got it on camera, and they sent it to me, and they were all freaked out about it, but it was, I guess, a really good spirit.

David Maisonneuve, who ran unsuccessfully for Salinas City Council District 3

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

Oh, probably get back to work. I just kind of put my business a little on hold because of all this stuff. 

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

At the UFW Hall a couple weeks ago, they were asking some really off-the-wall questions. I wasn't ready for them.

I'll preface this a little bit. I don't see color. I see everybody as equals. And so when I get questioned about, how am I going to support the Black and Brown community, I'm kind of beside myself, because as a running for office, you're going to support everybody. So I was caught off guard. I just didn't really know how to answer that, other than I’m color blind. We're all taxpayers, and because we're all taxpayers everybody's the same.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn't know before.

There's more people concerned about homelessness than you would realize. They were concerned in two ways: One, about safety, and the other about the people themselves. We need to take care of them somehow and help them out. That was the biggest eye-opener.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No, other than getting on my knees and praying to God, not really, although tonight we will be doing a watch party so that's going to be fun. All the people that helped me go canvassing have just been an amazing support team; we're going to have a party tonight as we watch the returns.

Do you believe in ghosts? 

I believe in the spiritual realm. So I guess I would say, yeah, I believe in ghosts. Maybe not quite like everybody else believes in them. A lot of people will think that ghosts are, for example, a family member who passed on, and they'll see their family member come back. I don't always believe that what we see is what we're getting. I think in the spiritual world, we're seeing more demons and satanic things than we are actually seeing people we knew.

Jesus Valenzuela, appointed Salinas City Council member who lost in his bid for a full term representing District 3

What are you doing after the campaign to unwind?

We will be having our watch party at Altura Lounge. I will be with my friends and family, watching the results and celebrating.

What was the most interesting question you were asked during the campaign?

Talking with folks who drive up and down Alisal Street, there is tension between West (one lane) and East (two lanes)—it’s part of a safety debate.

Name one thing you learned about the community while campaigning that you didn’t know before.

The biggest lesson is that District 3 is very diverse. We target ignored working voters in hard-to-get-to places in the district.

Do you have an Election Day superstition/ritual?

No time for stuff like yoga, a good breakfast, running. We got up very early. I don’t need a ritual or luck. I’m ready. 

Do you believe in ghosts?

No.