March for rent control in Santa Rosa seeks to get out the vote

A group of activists supporting rent control in Santa Rosa marched from Santa Rosa Junior College to the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters office Tuesday to call attention to the June 6 vote on Measure C.

Banging drums and chanting slogans like “Yes on C, beat corporate greed!” and carrying signs reading “People over profit,” about 40 people peacefully made their way along Mendocino Avenue to the county government center.

Many marchers delivered their mail-in ballots to the registrar’s office to remind people to vote in what is expected to be a low turnout special election, said Davin Cardenas, lead organizer for the North Bay Organizing Project supporting rent control.

“It was just a public service announcement that we’ve got to get our votes out,” Cardenas said.

The City Council passed a rent control law in August but the ordinance, Measure C, must be approved by voters to go into effect. Opponents of rent control have outspent supporters nearly 7-to-1 in what is already the most expensive political campaign in Santa Rosa history.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @srcitybeat.