Petaluma Mayor Election: Kevin McDonnell Leads Shelina Moreda and John Hanania in Early Returns

PETALUMA, Sonoma County — November 4, 2026. Kevin McDonnell held a clear early lead in Petaluma’s three-candidate election for mayor following Tuesday’s statewide general election. KQED’s local-results dashboard, based on election-office figures, displayed 6,231 votes (58.6%) for McDonnell, 3,343 (31.4%) for Shelina Moreda and 1,041 (9.8%) for John Hanania.

What the numbers mean

These counts are preliminary. Not every eligible mail or conditional ballot has necessarily been processed. A leading candidate should not be described as legally elected on the basis of this partial tabulation alone. The election is for the citywide mayor’s office, not for one of Petaluma’s individual City Council districts.

Three other city races

District 1 council results showed Janice Cader Thompson with 1,031 votes, Nate Martin with 235 and Alan W. Lapierre with 229. In District 2, Brent Newell led John Shribbs 882 to 755. In District 3, Eric Vazquez led Karen Nau 766 to 544. Each council district has its own electorate.

What the next mayor faces

Petaluma’s leadership makes decisions involving local spending, housing, land use, infrastructure and public services. Because the count is incomplete, California58 is publishing the exact reported votes and sources rather than assigning a final outcome.

Sources: KQED’s Sonoma County election-results dashboard and Sonoma County Registrar of Voters official results portal. The figures are an early post-election snapshot reviewed November 4, 2026, not the final certified results. As Petaluma Voice reported, the next county update is scheduled for November 5, with further canvass releases afterward.

YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER NEEDS YOU

Help this community newspaper grow

Your support helps build coverage for the people and places this local newspaper serves.

Donate once by card ↗

Help Petaluma News grow Help strengthen reporting on Petaluma: community voices, important decisions and local life.

Support Petaluma News

Choose how to support Petaluma News:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. When possible, add “Petaluma News” to the payment note. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.

Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

Petaluma News — Your Community Newspaper

Have a correction, news tip, local announcement, or story to submit? Contact our editorial team. All submissions are reviewed before publication.