Deadline is Wed. Aug 12 at 5:00 p.m.

By Allen D. Payton

In the elections for the two seats on the Antioch School Board, the race for Area 5 Trustee is set as of last Friday, while the filing period for Area 2 Trustee has been extended until Wednesday, Aug. 12th at 5:00 p.m. because incumbent Dr. Jag Lathan did not seek re-election.

In Trustee Area 5, incumbent Mary Rocha will face only one opponent, Brandon Dawkins, as Brandon William Lawson did not complete the filing process. As previously reported, according to his campaign Facebook page and his campaign website, Dawkins is a “Healthcare Worker, Labor and Community Organizer” and “a father of five, with four of his children attending Antioch Unified schools.” His campaign slogan is “Whole Student, Whole Community.”

In Trustee Area 2, Oakley resident Roxanne Reece so far faces no opponent. But because the incumbent didn’t file to run for re-election by last Friday’s deadline, the filing period has been extended five days until 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12th.

According to Reece’s campaign Facebook page she is a “Parent, Advocate, Community Voice” and is “Committed to students, families, educators, accountability and a stronger future for Antioch schools.” A portion of Oakley is within the Antioch School District boundaries.

To run, candidates must live within the Trustee Area, acquire nomination papers at and submit them to the Contra Costa Elections office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. Interested candidates can schedule an appointment by emailing candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling (925) 335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes. For more information visit www.contracostavote.gov/elections/candidates-campaigns-measures/run-for-office.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

Third-time rematches in both council campaigns

By Allen D. Payton

With the close of filing on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., according to Appointed City Clerk Michael Mandy, all those who pulled nomination papers, except for Diane Gibson-Gray, have filed them to run for the Antioch City Council. Incumbent Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker will face former Antioch Councilwoman and School Board Trustee Joy Motts for a third time in District 1 and incumbent Monica Wilson will face three challengers in the race for District 4. Gibson-Gray announced earlier Friday in a letter to the editor she will not be running in District 1, again.

Torres-Walker defeated Motts who ran for re-election in 2020, then Motts lost again to Torres-Walker in 2022 by just four votes following a recount.

Former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White will run for a third time against Wilson, having also run in 2020 and 2022. First-time council candidates Andrew Becker, a local homeless advocate and regular public speaker at council meetings, as well as Metty Mathews Alappat have also entered the race. According to her LinkedIn page, Alappat was a Senior Technical Account Manager for Amazon Web Services until July 2025.

Wilson is running for a fifth term, or a rather fourth-and-a-half term. She was first elected in 2012, then re-elected in 2016, then re-elected in 2020 for a two-year term following the City’s move to district elections, and again re-elected in 2022 for another full, four-year term.

Mandy will not face an opponent in the City Clerk’s race and will be elected for the two remaining years of the four-year term. He was appointed in September 2025 following the sudden departure two months earlier of Melissa Rhodes, who was elected in November 2024.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

“This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch.” – Diane Gibson-Gray

To the Editor:

In 2022, I ran for Antioch City Council, District 1, because I believe in serving the greater good of this community. That race came down to four votes — Tamisha Torres-Walker’s margin of victory over Joy Motts. I finished just 128 votes behind Torres-Walker myself.

I’ve thought hard about what that result actually tells us. Together, Joy and I represented roughly 60% of the vote in that race. We split it, and a three-vote margin decided the outcome for all of District 1.

I fully intended to run again in 2026. My commitment to fiscal accountability and transparent government in Antioch hasn’t wavered. My reason for running was, and always has been, the greater good — making sound decisions for District 1 and for Antioch as a whole.

Yesterday, Joy Motts and I had a conversation about the race. We talked through the reasons each of us is qualified to serve, and the reasons we each felt called to run. The call ended the same way it began, with both of us still in the race.

I’ve seen comments on social media about vote-splitting, and I’ve had conversations with valued friends and family who share that concern. After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to withdraw — for the greater good. Joy Motts and I have real differences in experience, style and approach, and in many ways have similar ideas and values. District 1 voters deserve to hear those differences clearly, head-to-head with Tamisha Torres-Walker, not blurred across a three-way field.

This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch — it’s making sure that fight is decided by voters, not by how the numbers happen to fall. I’ll continue doing the work I’ve always done in this community, watching the budgets and asking hard questions, from outside the ballot box this time.

I wish both candidates a hard-fought, honest campaign. District 1 deserves nothing less. The outcome is theirs to decide.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who signed my nomination papers, and everyone who encouraged and supported me along the way. Your belief in me and in this community means more than I can say.

Sincerely,

Diane Gibson-Gray

Antioch, CA

By Allen D. Payton

In the race for the Antioch School Board, as of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Area 2 incumbent Dr. Jag Lathan has not yet pulled nomination papers to run for re-election and Area 5 incumbent Mary Rocha has. Only one candidate, Roxanne Reece, has filed to run for Area 2 Trustee and two potential challengers have also pulled papers to run for Area 5 Trustee.

They include Brandon William Lawson and Brandon Kenyetta Dawkins. But none of the three in that Area have filed papers which are due by this Friday, August 7 at 5:00 p.m. If Lathan does not run for a second term, the filing period for Area 2 is extended until Wednesday, Aug. 13th at 5:00 p.m.

According to her Roxanne Reece for Antioch School Board campaign Facebook page, she is a “Parent, Advocate, Community Voice” and is “Committed to students, families, educators, accountability, and a stronger future for Antioch schools.”

According to his campaign Facebook page at facebook.com/bdawkinsforantioch, and his campaign website, bdawkinsforantioch.com, Dawkins is a “Healthcare Worker, Labor and Community Organizer” and “a father of five, with four of his children attending Antioch Unified schools.” His campaign slogan is “Whole Student, Whole Community.”

Rocha hasn’t yet updated her campaign Facebook page, facebook.com/MaryRocha4Antioch, for this year’s race and doesn’t have a campaign website yet. No website or social media for Lawson could be found.

The trustee terms last four years.

To run, candidates must live within the Trustee Area, acquire nomination papers at and submit them to the Contra Costa Elections office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. Interested candidates can schedule an appointment by emailing candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling (925) 335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes. For more information visit www.contracostavote.gov/elections/candidates-campaigns-measures/run-for-office.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

To hold nomination papers signing event Thursday

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on her campaign Facebook page on July 26, 2026, former Antioch councilwoman and school board trustee, Joy Motts, announced a third run for city council against District 1 incumbent Tamisha Torres-Walker. Her slogan is, “A Fierce Advocate for Antioch.”

The post reads, “It’s official! Joy Motts is running for Antioch City Council, District 1. A fierce advocate for Antioch, Joy is committed to building a safer, stronger and thriving community for everyone. She’s ready to lead, listen and work hard for all District 1 residents. Choose Joy. Choose progress. Choose a brighter future for District 1.”

Motts also posted a video announcing her campaign in which she said, ““I’m ready to lead and to listen and to work hard.”

Motts previously served on the Antioch City Council from 2016-2020 and the Antioch School Board from 2010-214. She lost her re-election bid against Torres-Walker in 2020, then lost again in 2022 challenge by just four votes following a recount.

Motts also announced a “Tacos with Joy” nomination papers signing event to be held tomorrow, Thursday, July 30th, at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, where residents can “learn more about her vision for a safer, stronger and thriving District 1.”

The candidate has also served the community as the long-time president of the Celebrate Antioch Foundation which organizes events throughout the city, each year and has led the effort for the RiverTown Square event center project proposed for the former Antioch Lumber Company lot in downtown.

For more information about Motts and her campaign visit her website, which has not yet been updated for this year, at https://joymotts.org.

UPDATE 1: So far, she is one of two potential challengers in the race for the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. Former Antioch School Board Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray announced on her personal Facebook page on July 25 that she too had pulled papers for a second run to replace Torres-Walker. The incumbent has yet to announce a run for re-election but the website from her last campaign is still up as does Gibson-Gray. UPDATE 2: However, Gibson-Gray later shared that she had actually posted on the home page of her website seven months ago, “Diane Gibson-Gray Antioch City Council District 1 November 2026.”

As of Wednesday, July 29th all three have pulled nomination papers yet none have yet filed them. The filing period closes at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026.

Could face three challengers so far

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson announced on her official Facebook page, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that she will run for a fifth term. First elected in 2012, she is currently the longest-serving member of the council. Wilson, currently in her fourth, or rather third-and-a-half term as she was re-elected in 2016, then in 2020 for a two-year term following the City’s move to district elections, then again in 2022 for another full, four-year term.

Wilson also posted the above campaign flier with the slogan, “Proven Experience. Trusted Leadership.”

In her announcement Wilson wrote, “I’m proud to announce that I am running for re-election to the Antioch City Council.

“Antioch is at a critical moment. We face real challenges, but we also have important opportunities to strengthen our neighborhoods, support families, and build a more stable and resilient local economy.

“As your Councilmember, I have always believed in collaborative leadership, transparent decision-making, and practical solutions that deliver real results for Antioch residents. I’m proud of the work we have done together, and I know there is more work ahead.

“When I was first elected, I made history as Antioch’s first African American woman to serve on the City Council. Today, I remain just as committed to serving this community with integrity, experience, and a deep belief in Antioch’s future.

“I’m running for re-election because Antioch needs steady, proven leadership focused on results, stability, and long-term progress.

“I would be honored to continue serving the residents of District 4 and working every day to move Antioch forward.”

UPDATE: The election for council districts 1 and 4 will be on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. So far, Wilson faces one potential opponent, former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White, who announced her third campaign against Wilson, local homeless advocate Andrew Becker and newcomer Metty Mathews Alappat, neither of whom have announced nor yet have websites or social media for their campaigns. According to her LinkedIn page, Alappat was a Senior Technical Account Manager for Amazon Web Services until July 2025. All four have pulled nomination papers but none of the four have filed as of Wednesday, July 29th. The filing period closes at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026.

For more information about Sandra White for Antioch City Council District 4 visit www.sandragwhite.com.

Two Antioch city council, two school board seats up

By Dawn Kruger, Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County, Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department 

The Candidate Filing Period for the November 3rd General Election will began, Monday, July 13, 2026, and nomination papers will be available for candidates running for office. The nomination period runs through 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026.

A list of offices anticipated for the election can be found here: www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/26Nov03_PositionsUpForElection.pdf.  Offices on this list are subject to change as resolutions are still being filed.

Antioch Elections

In Antioch, City Council seats for District 1, currently represented by incumbent Tamisha Torres-Walker, and District 4, currently represented by incumbent Monica Wilson, are up for election. So far only one challenger has announced for District 4, Sandra White, who is running and hoping her third time is a charm. Plus, on the Antioch School Board, the seats for trustees in Area 2, currently represented by Dr. Jag Lathan, and Area 5, currently represented by incumbent Mary Rocha, who recently told the Herald she will run again, are up for election.

Papers for offices that are up for election will be available at the Contra Costa Elections Office, 555 Escobar Street, Martinez. Papers for Municipal Offices will be available from the City Clerk’s office in the city the position represents.

For further information on the General Election and key dates, go to www.contracostavote.gov

“Our Candidate Services team is ready to work with Candidates who will be running in the November General Election,” said Kristin B. Connelly, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters. “Our office is here to help potential candidates.”

If an incumbent does not file to run for office by the August 7th deadline, the filing period for that office will extend until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. This rule does not apply to incumbents that have reached their term limit and are unable to run again.

Interested candidates can schedule an appointment by emailing candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling (925) 335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.