Mayoral races set for Buellton, Solvang; two candidates file for Buellton District 1 seat

By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Fri Sep 04 2026

The mayoral races for both Buellton and Solvang will be "rematches" from those of two years ago, as the ballot has been set for the Nov. 3 General Election.

For Buellton, former mayor Dave King seeks to reclaim his seat, which he lost to current Mayor David Silva in 2024. For Solvang, current Mayor David Brown will again be challenged by Denise El-Amin, one of the opponents he defeated for the open mayoral seat in 2024.

Meanwhile, Buellton is guaranteed a new City Councilmember at the end of the year: District 1 Councilmember Hudson Hornick opted not to run for reelection this year, and Billy Silvola, a special education teacher, and Mark Williams, a retired sheriff's sergeant, will vie for the District 1 seat for a term through 2028.

In Buellton's District 4, Carla Mead, who won the seat in a special election in August 2025 and has served as vice mayor this year, is the only candidate and will serve a full term through 2028.

In Solvang, the City Council seats in Districts 3 and 4 will remain unchanged as 2025 District 3 appointee Louise Smith and District 4 representative Elizabeth Orona were the only candidates to file for those seats.

For information on these races, go to the city websites (cityofsolvang.com and cityofbuellton.com) and the Santa Barbara County Elections page at www.countyofsb.org/acr-elections