Another contender has thrown his hat in the ring ahead of Santa Barbara’s mayoral race in November.
City Councilmember Eric Friedman announced that he will be running for mayor, according to a post on social media shared by reporter John Palminteri on January 7, 2026.
As a “life-long Democrat, who first voted for Bill Clinton as president,” Friedman has submitted a questionnaire seeking the Democratic Party endorsement, according to the Instagram post.
He said he was inspired to run for mayor following a near-fatal heart attack in April 2025 and said he received “incredible support” from residents during his recovery.
View this post on Instagram
“This experience made me re-evaluate life and the many blessings that come to all of us daily, especially the opportunity to give back to the community,” Friedman said in the post.
As the next mayor, Friedman said he will work on priorities, including “balancing the budget, increasing affordable housing opportunities, enhancing public safety and emergency preparedness, and economic revitalization of downtown.”
Friedman has served on the Santa Barbara City Council for eight years and previously worked as a grocery clerk in a local store. He said these experiences gave him “unique perspectives” on how City policies affect residents daily.
Prior to serving on the City Council, Friedman worked as a district representative for First District County Supervisors Naomi Schwartz and Supervisor Salud Carbajal, according to his page on the City of Santa Barbara website.
“Having grown up in Santa Barbara, I look forward to starting a new chapter in life through continued public service as mayor of the wonderful city we call home,” he added.
Other Contenders in Mayoral Race
Friedman joins fellow City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon for the mayoral race, who announced her bid for mayor in November 2025.
The two-term District 4 representative said she will focus on rent control and tenant-landlord relations, downtown development including the Paseo Nuevo mall, the future of State Street, and housing growth.
A geology professor at Santa Barbara City College, Sneddon was mostly apolitical until she participated in a March for Science in 2017, shortly after Donald Trump became president. She later decided to run for local office in response to national political developments under the Trump administration.
Later in 2025, current Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse announced he will seek re-election, stating that his job “is about service, not about politics.”
Elected mayor in 2021, 70-year-old Rowse is planning on focusing on budget decisions, housing and homelessness, the future of State Street, and rent control.
Former Santa Barbara Unified School District Board member Wendy Sims-Moten has also submitted a questionnaire indicating interest in the mayor’s race, according to Santa Barbara News-Press, but has not yet made a public announcement.
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It does seem a little manipulative to claim that his inspiration to be mayor came from a heart attack! One might more likely to be inspired to commit to a life of charity and quiet good works. I have found Friedman a nice guy but one who is easily manipulated by city staff and defers to them incessantly, even against evidence of their incorrect “facts.” Also worried about his reflexive commitment to current urban planning pushes that would have us all living in small apartments and taking ebikes everywhere. Of course as noted by others, the job of mayor is pretty much ceremonial as that job had no patronage to dispense as incentive to other members of adhere to the mayor’s promised agenda.
DO-NOTHING Randy Rowse has got to go. Too busy blaming others for his own inaction.
Every new candidate increases Randy’s chances of winning. These ego-driven people didn’t manage to learn this from the 4-way 2021 race when he won 38.6%
what do you expect them to do? what powers do you think they have? i ask because i had felt the same until i sat down and talked to him, and a few former SB mayors. They are nothing more than 1 vote on the council and a talking head for the city. that’s about as far as their role takes them. they aren’t given presidential powers or anything like many of us may assume.
KNEIN – that’s interesting to hear. So basically a mayor here is performative only? Seems like it if this is true. Funny, because while Cathy Murillo was mayor all the now-MAGAts were screaming that she did nothing for anyone (well, anyone white at least).
Looks like it will be another bunch of progressives who like more and more taxes, studies, and consultants to tell them what they should do vs. a long-time businessman who understands downtown, once again.
“A long-time businessman ” who enjoys champagne at ribbon cutting events but is just all talk. If you don’t like it the progressives – GTFO of Santa Barbara. Buh Bye.
I wonder if you are even aware of how much your comments look like those of a Stalinist.
ZIPS – you’re not capable of understanding the words you use.
Zipstain supports a fascist who is hiding child ra****s.
We’re all aware: not at all. OTOH, your comments look like those of https://tinyurl.com/y5tt6p27
I’d take “progressives” any day over a vile Republican with MAGA sympathies. Not saying that’s Rowse, but to degrade liberals at a time when MAGA Repubs are cheering for the murder of US citizens, the protection of child rapists and empire expansion at the hands of a rapist fraud, is really missing the point.
MAGACANS are morally bankrupt, intellectually fraudulent, bigoted, misogynistic – and lacking any sort of moral compass. Any time a MAGACRAT manages anything it turns to garbage and decay. Yet the same people keep defending the child rapists and murderers.
Yep. And that’s not going to change. You should probably move to a different city. Oh, wait, you don’t even live in SB.
I sure hope it won’t change. The progressives running over each other left and right to be mayor (what else do they have to do?) likely will wind up with nothing. Throw in Sims-Moten and what have you got? Get a united message and a solid candidate, and it wouldn’t be hard to beat Rowse. But they can’t get that, can they?
No one’s moving away based on the mayoral election of course. That’s silly.
You defend child ra*****s. Your analysis is not valid here.
Because the failed progressive politics have worked so well for California?? California is now the most highly taxed State, among the worst for education, homelessness, crime. Failed progressive politics have $68 Billion Dollar budget deficit. Locally we have lost State Street corridor, Santa Barbara has a $66 Million Dollar budget deficit. The ‘housing authority’ has gobbled up 11% of the housing in Santa Barbara, driving up prices and destroying neighborhoods. We can do better, and should be grateful for Randy Rowse leadership in preventing more of these progressive failures.
Then GTFO and stop your crying and child r*** support.
Zitstain, you want to talk about money lost? Your great leader pardoned fraudsters who stole hundreds of billions of dollars from the government. And you support and defend child rapists. Randy hasn’t done Jack.
Donald Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of numerous individuals convicted of various forms of fraud, including government fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, tax evasion, and bribery.
What is Eric’s platform?
How does it differ from other contenders? And even from Randy’s?
Of course I intend to ask him. I have his council email, live in his neighborhood, and have briefly chatted with him occasionally at his work.
Eric promises free chocolate milk for everyone at lunch, and to diligently follow his democrat betters instructions. Nice guy, but not a leader, and Santa Barbara needs more.
Josh Molina provides a little info here:
https://www.newspress.com/2026/01/06/santa-barbara-city-councilman-eric-friedman-running-for-mayor/
Eric is a good guy, he’s got my vote.