With state and local election ballots already circulating, and Election Day just three weeks away, local voters are showing the greatest interest in the race for the 2nd District City Council seat, where Scott Pratt and Mathew López are going head-to-head following Alex Woods’ departure from the race in September.
The race seems to be largely fought on three fronts: yard signs, door knocking and social media. The first two are traditional electioneering techniques, while social media such as Facebook posts are a relatively new but unavoidable platform for sharing public opinion.
There is no reliable way to gauge social media impact or influence, but the most readily available metric for evaluating campaign energy is that old stand-by, money. The City of Healdsburg posts the candidates’ financial contributions and expenses by law, referred to as Disclosure Statements. These are dollars-and-cents records of campaign financial activity; the final evaluation of their success will be revealed on Nov. 3.
This is the first election to be based on the newly divided map of Healdsburg’s voting districts, developed in 2024-25 as a result of legal pressures to create districts more likely to elect diverse candidates. Five districts were created, two of which have seats up for election this fall, three of which will be on the ballot in 2028. The selection of a mayor will continue as it has been, a vote of the five seated council members to select a chair.
‘Follow the Money‘
Chris Herrod, the current mayor, is running unopposed for the 4th District seat in this election. Another council member, Evelyn Mitchell, also lives in this district but she decided in August not to seek re-election, thus avoiding a runoff between two seated council members (and filing election financing statements).
While Herrod’s disclosure statements are essentially beside the point, it’s noted that among his donations were several $250 donations from local residents in April and May, including $200 from Scott Pratt in May and $500 from a Teamsters Local 665 in June. The largest individual contributor was permaculture farmer Moe Wendt, now living in British Columbia, who donated $500 to help kick off the campaign in May. Herrod’s total campaign contributions came to $5,500 as of Sept. 19, the date of the last public filing statement.
Mathew López ran for City Council in 2022 but did not land a seat, finishing well behind eventual winner Ron Edwards and an attempted comeback by Brigette Mansell. He is a math teacher at Healdsburg High, a coach for the wrestling team and co-chair of the city’s SMART Station Area Committee—a committee now on hiatus pending SMART’s choice for a Healdsburg station location.
His campaign contributions are modest, consisting of several $100 and $200 donations almost entirely from Healdsburg residents, including $150 from Chris Herrod (who has endorsed López). The total of cash contributions to his campaign came to $2,109 as of Sept. 19.
The financial disclosure statements of Scott Pratt, a television commercial producer and relative newcomer to Healdsburg (he moved here in 2010), show significant donations from non-Healdsburg residents.
Among Pratt’s top backers are $500 donations each from Tereza Ouchida and Satoru Ouchida of Whittier, California; David Kellam of Santa Rosa; and Kyle Ballode of Montrose, Colorado. Local donations are in the $50-$250 range, as well as a $50 contribution from Councilmember Ron Edwards (who has endorsed Pratt). Contributions totaled $5,098 through Sept. 19, second highest among the three candidates but more than double the $2,109 received by his opponent, López.
Though he left the race in August, Alex Wood did file campaign disclosure statements showing $2,325 in donations. That amount included contributions of $500 each from his parents, Jim Wood and Jane Wood of Healdsburg, and $500 from Councilmember Evelyn Mitchell. Several other small donations were received from out of town and from Healdsburg residents.
So far there is no sign of large contributions from corporations or other sources of “dark money.”
All three of the current candidates participated in a forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Oct. 13; results too late for press time.
Another round of contribution reports, the last one before the election, will be released on Oct. 22. Campaign Disclosure Statements are posted on the city’s website at healdsburg.gov/1211/2026-Campaign-Statements.
