Statements and Media Releases

Greetings! I'm Elijah Mack, your average Santa Barbarian neighbor, community volunteer, and enthusiastic localist; not a career politician. I’m running to keep our county government accountable and efficient, and to realign its focus toward what truly matters – the spirit and vitality of our community.

My goals are simple: to empower the individuals, families, workers, and entrepreneurs who make our county unique; to preserve our local traditions and natural scenery; and to fight for a Santa Barbara County where locals can afford to remain, well, locals.

This means, in part, advocating for policies that increase economic freedom and put housing within reach for our neighbors; so families, farmers, and small business owners can thrive here without fear of being priced out of communities they built or put in a bureaucratic chokehold.

My vision for Santa Barbara County is a tight-knit community, with localized economics, civic participation, and community festivities; where the tightening of our budget, shuttering of businesses, and loss of multi-generational locals comes to an end. Everything local, rooted, and real; that’s my commitment, not party lines or private interests.

I can only say so much here, so if you want to read my full platform, visit elijahmack.com

This statement will appear in the Sample Ballot for the June 2nd Primaries, received by all registered voters

Greetings! My name is Elijah Mack, a Santa Barbara resident, community volunteer, and enthusiastic localist, and I’m proud to announce my candidacy for Santa Barbara County Supervisor in District 2.

I’m running to help keep our County Government accountable, efficient, and re-focused on what truly matters: the spirit and vitality of our communities. My goals are simple: to empower the individuals, families, workers, and entrepreneurs who make our county unique; to preserve our local traditions and natural scenery; and to fight for a Santa Barbara County where locals can afford to remain, well, locals.

Too many long‑time residents are feeling the pressure of rising costs, housing limitations, and bureaucratic barriers and expenses that make it harder to build a life or sustain a business locally. Our County Government should be working aggressively to reduce those obstacles and expand economic opportunity so that our neighbors can thrive. Yet- a great many of us everyday citizens have felt for so long that our attempts to communicate our needs to the County have been like talking to a brick wall.

Ultimately, my vision for Santa Barbara County is a tight‑knit community built around localized economics, active civic participation, and the kinds of community traditions and festivities that bring neighbors together and draw visitors from afar. I want to see a future where the tightening of our budgets, the shuttering of local businesses, and the loss of multi‑generational residents comes to an end. A love for everything local, rooted, and real— that’s the driving force behind my campaign, not party lines or private interests.

In this officially nonpartisan race, my campaign is not one of a Republican or a Democrat, but one of a Localist. My focus is on developing practical and pragmatic means of encouraging local business, building more tight-knit communities, preserving our environmental and cultural heritage, bringing political decisionmaking closer to individual localities, and minimizing how deeply the County Government must dig into the wallets of its citizens.

Some residents may remember my grassroots campaign in 2024 for California State Senate in District 21. I initially launched that campaign as an Independent before being approached by members of the Republican Party who encouraged me to run under their banner, so that the race would not become a three‑way contest featuring an ardent Republican who would certainly knock me out of the primaries but perhaps underperform in the General Election. Although I knew the odds of my opponent’s re-election were astronomically high, as a young first‑time candidate running with only a few thousand dollars in donations, I used the campaign as an opportunity to promote a positive and unifying message and to encourage voters to vote based on policy rather than party, giving everyone on their ballot a fair shake.

My campaign ultimately outperformed the previous challenger to the incumbent State Senator, and generated a strong response from voters across the district. After the election, many community members encouraged me to run for a smaller local office, believing that I stood a solid chance of victory. After careful consideration, I decided to step forward and run for Santa Barbara County Supervisor in District 2.

More information about my campaign and platform can be found at:

https://www.elijahmack.com

This message was sent out to all major Santa Barbara County news outlets in mid-March, 2026.