Natalie Rogers becomes first Black woman elected to Santa Rosa City Council

Santa Rosa voters have chosen a Black woman to represent them on the City Council for the first time in the city’s history.

Natalie Rogers, a marriage and family therapist, claimed victory Friday night over her rival Eric Christensen in the race for the city’s District 7 seat. Rogers held a 200-vote lead, a thin margin that had changed little as ballots were added to the tally after Election Day. On Friday night, out of the 10,807 votes counted in the district race, she led by a margin of 42.5% — 4,593 votes — to 40.65% — or 4,393 votes — for Christensen, the owner of a visual special effects firm.

With only a handful of ballots left to tally countywide, according to the election officials, Rogers took to her Facebook page Friday night to mark her historic win.

“I am grateful and humbled by this experience,” she said in her statement. She thanked her volunteers, those who endorsed and donated her campaign, the voters and her husband and children before turning her attention to her impending first term in elected office.

“Together, I know we can make meaningful progress on affordable housing, homelessness, police reform, COVID economic recovery, road repair and so much more,” Rogers said in the statement.

Rogers, 39, a mother of four, added that she planned to organize food and toy drives for the holidays to help local kids. She could not be reached Friday evening for an interview.

A third candidate, attorney Daniela Pavone, trailed with 16.85% of the vote.

Deva Proto, the county elections chief, said Friday via email there were as few as five uncounted ballots left — not enough to swing any of the close contests.

And race between Rogers and Christensen was among the tightest, as the first contest to fill a district based seat representing parts of west and southwest Santa Rosa. The district’s boundaries generally include the area south of Guerneville Road and west of Stony Point Road to the city limits, including Elsie Allen High School in its southeast corner.

Rogers campaigned on a bid to improve diversity on the nearly all-white council. She will be only the second Black member of the City Council after Lee Pierce, who served from 2004 to 2008.

The outcome in Santa Rosa is part of a wave of council elections across Sonoma County that ushered in more diverse representation, empowering more women and people of color at the top of city governments. Shifts to district-based elections for city council in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, especially, helped spur that change.

Proto said she did not expect to certify the election results before Monday. Her office has until Dec. 3 to do so.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @wsreports.