San Rafael City Races

Results are a combination of data provided by the Associated Press (AP) and county election offices. The AP calls winners by analyzing vote tallies and other election data. Check marks are used to denote a winner only when the AP calls a race.

Top candidate wins seat.

Maika Llorens Gulati(incumbent)100%
1,816 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

Top candidate wins seat.

Rachel Kertz(incumbent)81%
5,566 votes
Mark Galperin18.9%
1,305 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

Top candidate wins seat.

Kate Colin(incumbent)86.1%
21,057 votes
Mahmoud A. Shirazi13.8%
3,392 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

Top candidate wins seat.

Robert F. Epstein(incumbent)100%
19,144 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

Top candidate wins seat.

Lindsay Lara(incumbent)100%
19,068 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

City Council, District 1

Top candidate wins seat.

Maika Llorens Gulati(incumbent)100%
1,816 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

What does a council member do?

City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues, including housing development, business ventures and contracts. They also help draft the city or town budget.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Maika Llorens Gulati

  • San Rafael City Council Member, District 1
  • Compassion: “I know that our path forward will require compassion, courage, fearlessness, and flexibility.”
  • Collaboration: “As a fearless advocate for every family, youth, and small business owners, I see this moment as an opportunity to learn from one another, understand new perspectives, and celebrate our richness.”
  • Priorities: “My priorities: creating a vibrant and safe community, strong foundations for our youth, supporting the local business community and workforce development, proactively pursuing solutions to climate change, building bridges across cultures and neighborhoods so we have the best of all worlds and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with every neighbor.”
  • MaikaForSanRafael.com

City Council, District 4

Top candidate wins seat.

Rachel Kertz(incumbent)81%
5,566 votes
Mark Galperin18.9%
1,305 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

What does a council member do?

City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues, including housing development, business ventures and contracts. They also help draft the city or town budget.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Mark Galperin

  • Retired nuclear physicist 
  • Science: “I worked in the Institute for Nuclear Research in Moscow, Russia, and authored multiple publications in leading physics journals in the field of cosmic rays, neutrino astrophysics and cosmology.”
  • Housing: “Upon retirement, I became interested in public service and local politics, especially providing alternative housing solutions for low- and below-medium-income families.”
  • Businesses: “In 1998, I founded a business development company, Expanding Edge LLC, and headed it for the last 26 years, even after retiring in 2020.”

Rachel Kertz

  • San Rafael City Council Member, District 4
  • Advocacy: “As your representative in San Rafael City Hall, I have advocated for our neighborhoods and the city as a whole.”
  • Homelessness: “We must explore compassionate responses to homelessness that balances the needs of the community and provides support for our unhoused neighbors.”
  • Senior Citizens: “On the San Rafael Age-Friendly Task Force, I championed the security and safety of our older residents.”

Mayor

Top candidate wins seat.

Kate Colin(incumbent)86.1%
21,057 votes
Mahmoud A. Shirazi13.8%
3,392 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

What does a mayor do?

A mayor’s role varies from city to city. In some jurisdictions, a mayor leads council meetings, but largely has similar responsibilities as other council members: voting on city ordinances, development proposals, contracts and the budget. In San Francisco, the mayor has broader powers to sign or veto bills, oversee city departments and make appointments.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Kate Colin

  • Mayor, San Rafael 
  • Homelessness: “The pandemic contributed to an increase in homeless encampments and empty San Rafael storefronts. Newly elected as your mayor, I worked to create a successful foundation for helping people off of the streets — using pathways to housing and legal tools.”
  • Growth: “I will continue to focus on strengthening our local economy, thoughtful growth planning, and addressing the impacts of climate change.”
  • Budget: “I’m proud that our city has a balanced budget of over $211 million, and in this year alone, we’ve brought in approximately $50 million — in direct and indirect grant dollars.”
  • katecolinsanrafael.com

Mahmoud A. Shirazi

  • Businessman
  • City Revenue: “Currently the growing vacancy rate is causing the city of San Rafael to lose revenue and drain city finances to continue shortfall.”
  • Budget: “I will focus on working with business leaders in the community to bring businesses back to San Rafael and help to turn around the decay that is attacking the city finances.”
  • Priorities: “As your mayor I will be seeking to bring together a consensus to implement solutions and my priorities are: balancing the budget, affordable housing, homelessness, storefront vacancy and creating a solid income base with integration, collaboration, cooperation of ideas in action.”
  • mahmoudashiraziforsanrafaelmayor.com

City Attorney

Top candidate wins seat.

Robert F. Epstein(incumbent)100%
19,144 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

What does a city attorney do?

The city attorney is a city’s top legal advisor. Staff in the city attorney’s office provide guidance to elected officials during public meetings, help draft ordinances and appear on behalf of the city in legal proceedings.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Robert F. Epstein

  • San Rafael City Attorney  
  • Statement pending or not available.

Clerk and Assessor

Top candidate wins seat.

Lindsay Lara(incumbent)100%
19,068 votes
Updated at 7:18 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
Marin County

What does a city clerk do?

The city clerk is responsible for maintaining city records, including ordinances, meeting minutes and agendas. The clerk also oversees the filing of election forms and responses to Public Records Act requests.

Candidate Statements

Candidate Statements are excerpted from the statements provided to election offices, where available.

Lindsay Lara

  • San Rafael Clerk and Assessor
  • Statement pending or not available.

More Results

See results for all elections on the Marin County ballot.

Have a correction? Contact voterguide@kqed.org.