What happens to Sacramento City Council if Vang, Guerra win other elected seats?
There’s a good chance the next Sacramento City Council will consist of the same nine faces after its swearing-in ceremony in December.
Based on vote counts released Tuesday, two incumbents are all but certain to serve another term, another has won outright after running unopposed and the fourth continues to hold a strong enough edge over her opponent to avoid a November runoff.
Despite those likely outcomes, there’s another prospect for significant turnover: Council members Mai Vang and Eric Guerra could win their respective races for California’s 7th Congressional District and the District 1 seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
Vang surged ahead in ballot returns Tuesday evening, poised to secure the top spot going into the November runoff against fellow Democrat and longtime incumbent Doris Matsui. But her lead is a slim one, and about 40% of the primary votes went to other candidates.
Guerra is advancing to the general election alongside epidemiologist Flojaune Cofer, though Guerra trails her by about 16 percentage points. About 25% of the vote went to candidates that will not advance.
With another five months of campaigning to go until voters issue their final decisions, each council member has a competitive chance to ascend the city in the middle of their terms. Guerra and Vang were each last re-elected in 2024, with their terms ending in 2028.
If elected to new offices, they would both be sworn into roles in the first week of 2027, leaving their seats behind the Sacramento dais vacant.
What happens if Vang and Guerra vacate their council seats?
If either or both sitting council members resign to take another office, the seats would be filled via a special election called by the City Council, according to the city’s charter.
The city may only appoint an interim council member if there is a regularly scheduled election within one year of the seat becoming vacant.
It is not within the city’s best interest to keep the seats vacant for too long since constituent services, a key part of each city council member’s job, would be transferred to the mayor’s office.
When would the special election take place?
The date of the election is up to council discretion as there is no regularly scheduled election in 2027. Assistant City Clerk Wendy Klock-Johnson said that it is too early to begin discussing a potential special election date.
“We’re not anywhere near that at this time,” she said.
How much would the special election cost?
The cost of a special election is determined based on the number of ballots the county needs to send out, according to Sacramento County Elections Office spokesperson Ken Casparis.
If Guerra leaves for the county seat, a special election would cost around $341,000. If Vang lands in Washington D.C., an election in her district would cost $331,000. In the case they are both elected to new posts, the consolidated cost of both elections would amount to about $589,000, according to county estimates.
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
