Sierra Madre City Council Chambers (Photo – Kris Lowe)
The deadline to file nomination papers for the Sierra Madre City Council election passed Friday, August 7, with three candidates seeking the three available council seats. No additional candidates obtained nomination papers before the deadline.
By Janine Tedros
Under California Elections Code §10229, a city council may, under certain circumstances, appoint unopposed candidates to available seats rather than hold an election.
The City of Sierra Madre announced that the nomination papers have been forwarded to the Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office for verification of voter signatures. The candidates will not be considered officially qualified until the certification process is complete.
The candidates who submitted nomination papers, listed in alphabetical order, are:
- Thomas S. Denison: Executive and Planning Commission Chair
- Kris Lowe: Incumbent Mayor and Educator
- Geoff Woods: Retired Teacher
The November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election is scheduled to fill three Sierra Madre City Council seats, each carrying a four-year term. Because the number of candidates who submitted nomination papers matches the number of available seats, the City Council could consider canceling the election if all three candidates are officially certified as qualified and unopposed.
The City Council is expected to discuss the matter at its August 19 meeting. If the council takes action to cancel the election, the three candidates, if certified as qualified and unopposed, could be appointed to the available council seats rather than appearing on the November ballot.
[This article has been updated to reflect the new date of August 19 for the council meeting.]
The good citizens of Sierra Madre prefer to snivel on Facebook rather than make a difference by engaging in our City Govt.