John Durkin is no longer in the running for the two San Carlos City Council at-large seats, leaving the race uncontested for incumbent Mayor John Dugan and Neil Layton, deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County.
Citing not enough time and expenses, Durkin maintains elections should be affordable. Vowing to spend no more than $2,000 on his campaign, and deferring residents interested in donating to “local nonprofits that are a better recipient,” he said he did not have enough time to commit to a successful door-to-door campaign.
“Candidates for San Carlos City Council need to meet voters in person at their front doors and not [the] expensive way via the mailbox,” Durkin said in an email statement. “In a city of 30,000 people, the elected members of the City Council should be recognizable household names.”
Durkin ran for a council seat two years ago and lost to Councilmembers Sarah McDowell, Adam Rak and Pranita Venkatesh.
San Carlos is one of the only cities in the county that still elects their councilmembers at-large rather than by district. Now with only two names on the ballot, the race appears to be finished.
Dugan has served on the City Council since elected in 2020. Prior to this role, he was a planning commissioner for the city and served in the U.S. Army. Dugan ran his former campaign with priorities of public safety, housing, traffic and infrastructure.
Priorities for Layton include making a “downtown for all” by supporting small businesses and promoting economic growth in the city, as well as diversifying parks. Layton is also a member of the San Carlos School District Board of Trustees.
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