Name: Don Taylor
Age: 53
Profession: Owner of Omelette Express
Lives: West Santa Rosa
Party: Republican
Issues: Polarization of council, budget
Noteworthy: Active in Sister Cities of Santa Rosa, has run unsuccessfully for council four times.
Name: Caroline Ba?elos
Age: 53
Profession: Former homeless services provider, current grade school tutor
Lives in: Rincon Valley
Party: Democrat
Issues: Rebuilding the economy, retraining workers
Noteworthy: Current planning commissioner, came in sixth in 2012 council race
Name: Mike Cook
Age: 33
Profession: Co-owner Santa Rosa landscape architecture firm
Lives in: Northwest Santa Rosa
Party: Democrat
Issues: Improving the economy, bringing council together
Noteworthy: Active in Santa Rosa Chamber. Served on Design Review Board. Pulled out of 2012 council race, came in 7th
Name: Hans Dippel
Age: 52
Profession: Sales and marketing executive at wine industry services firm
Lives in: Fountaingrove
Party: Democrat
Issues: Economic revitalization, pension reform
Noteworthy: Came in 8th in 2012 council race. Also was on ballot in 2008.
Name: Curtis Byrd
Age: 57
Profession: Community relations specialist for Blood Centers of the Pacific
Party: Democrat
Lives in: Northwest Santa Rosa
Issues: New ideas to boost economy, building community
Noteworthy: Planning commissioner, divinity student
Name: David Rosas
Age: 50
Profession: Telecommunications software analyst
Lives in: Roseland
Party: Democrat
Issues: Replacing redevelopment dollars, increasing tax revenues with new business.
Noteworthy: Community activist who ran for council in 2008.
Name: Robin Swinth
Age: 45
Profession: Former Agilent engineer
Lives in: Bennett Valley
Party: Democrat
Issues: Creating sustainable budget, maintaining city services
Noteworthy: Member of the city's Board of Public Utilities, mother of two
Name: George Steffensen
Age: 55
Profession: Retired union official.
Lives in: Montgomery Village
Party: Democrat
Issues: Sustainable budget, retaining and attracting businesses
Noteworthy: Former member of the Cotati-Rohnert Park School Board.
Name: Roy Sprague
Age: 69
Profession: Retired firefighter
Lives in: West Santa Rosa
Party: Republican
Issues: Traffic and pedestrian safety, county islands
Noteworthy: Cal Fire Battalion Chief in Glen Ellen for 17 years, served on 2010-2011 Sonoma County Grand Jury.
Name: Gary Saal
Age: 61
Profession: Owner of an intellectual property licensing firm.
Lives in: Fountaingrove
Party: Republican
Issues: Economic development, jobs
Noteworthy: Former trustee of the Mark West Unified School District board; working to bring a minor league baseball team to city
Name: Zachary Rounds
Age: 34
Profession: Water quality regulator with the state Department of Public Health
Lives in: Bennett Valley
Party: Libertarian
Issues: Urban blight, maintaining infrastructure, competition for water resources
Noteworthy: He is the youngest applicant for the vacancy.
Name: Jeffrey Owen
Age: 48
Profession: Exchange Bank Special Assets Department, managing distressed properties
Lives in: Montecito Heights
Party: Republican
Issues: Budget, ability to meet residents' expectations
Noteworthy: Father of four, avid cyclist. Commissioner on the county's Open Space District.
Name: Karen Lovvorn
Age: 75
Profession: Retired nurse and diabetes educator.
Neighborhood: Northwest
Party: Democrat
Issues: Job creation, gang prevention
Noteworthy: Oldest applicant for the position
Name: Douglas Krikac
Age: 61
Profession: Unemployed lumber salesman
Party: Republican
Lives in: Bennett Valley
Issues: Homelessness, budget
Noteworthy: Calls himself a "regular guy, willing to represent all the other regular guys and gals."
Name: Robert Malm
Age: 72
Profession: Retired container ship captain
Lives in: Bennett Valley
Party: Green
Issues: Education, budget
Noteworthy: Served on the Sonoma County Grand Jury, gave shortest answers to council questions.
Name: Barbara Ramsey
Age: 68
Profession: Past president and Sonoma County Medical Association Alliance and Foundation.
Lives in: Oakmont
Party: Democrat
Balance budget/pension reform; environmentally sustainable economic growth
Noteworthy: Member of the city's Board of Community Services.
Name: P.W. Griffiths Hughes
Age: 61
Profession: Pharmaceutical salesman for Pfizer
Lives in: Bennett Valley
Party: Republican
Issues: Pension reform, health care
Noteworthy: Soccer coach, active in Southeast Greenway campaign
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