Kaplan declares victory, completing Sacramento Council incumbents’ primary sweep
Sacramento District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan has emerged victorious in her reelection bid to retain her seat representing North Natomas and other neighborhoods.
Ballot returns released Friday put an end to a bitter, expensive race defined by issues of public safety and homelessness. Kaplan has held strong at 52.7% of the vote, slightly increasing her lead since election night and squashing challenger Jennifer Chawla’s hope that later counted ballots would bring Kaplan below the majority threshold and extend the race to the November general election.
“I pledge to continue staying true to exactly who I am: your authentic, transparent, and fiercely dedicated advocate,” Kaplan said in a Facebook post declaring her victory.
Kaplan faced a formidable challenger in the former Federal Bureau of Investigations investigative specialist, who earned the emphatic support of Kaplan’s colleagues, Mayor Kevin McCarty and District 3 Councilmember Karina Talamantes. Chawla, a progressive, also acquired the support of local Democratic clubs and local unions, while Kaplan retained backing from local law enforcement and business groups.
Chawla, a first-time candidate for public office, thanked her supporters in a social media post conceding to Kaplan.
“A year ago, I was coming out of a 13-year career as a covert employee, unsure of what life outside that world would look like,” she wrote. “In my first campaign for public office, against a career politician with decades of political infrastructure behind her, we earned 42% of the vote.”
No council seats on fall ballot
The three other council members up for reelection also won outright this primary, meaning that there will be no general election for Sacramento City Council seats in November.
Caity Maple has 68.2% of the vote in District 5 as of Friday, a fortunate outcome for the pregnant councilmember who is due in September. In District 7, longtime incumbent Rick Jennings earned 56.8% of the vote, defeating two challengers. Talamantes, running unopposed, automatically won her District 3 seat.
There is still a chance, however, that the makeup of the council could change in 2027. Council members Eric Guerra and Mai Vang are each slated to head to the general election in their bids for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and California’s 7th Congressional District, respectively. Both represent even-numbered council districts that appear on ballots in presidential election years.
In the case that one or both of them win, the city would call a special election, which could cost up to $589,000, according to county estimates.
