Pleasanton's mayoral contest comes down to two people who have spent years on the same dais.
Mayor Jack Balch, elected to the top seat in 2024, is asking voters for a second term. His only opponent is Councilmember Julie Testa, who reaches the council's two-term limit at the end of this year and announced her run in August. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The incumbent
Balch is a certified public accountant who served on the City Council from 2020 to 2024 after stints on the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission, Local News Matters reported. In his candidate statement, as quoted by that outlet, he says he kept promises to strengthen public safety, secure a more reliable long-term water supply, cut red tape and help small businesses.
For a second term he lists fiscal responsibility, transparency and environmental programs such as clean energy and recycling among his priorities.
When he opened his campaign in May, Balch told the Pleasanton Weekly that the city had started steps to raise new revenue during his first term, while warning that "the next budget or two will still be challenging" because of pension costs and capital needs. That budget cycle included service reductions such as shorter library hours, the Weekly reported.
His endorsers include state Sen. Jerry McNerney, Alameda County Supervisors David Haubert, Elisa Marquez and Nate Miley, and Councilmembers Matthew Gaidos and Craig Eicher.
The challenger
Testa, a small business owner, won an at-large council seat in 2018 and was reelected in 2022 to represent District 3. She has twice served as vice mayor.
