Grover Beach's mayor and two city council seats are up for grabs this November. Meet each candidate and learn how they're planning to tackle the city's biggest issues.
Mayor
Incumbent Kassi Dee and David Swift are going head-to-head to be the next mayor of Grover Beach.
Kassi Dee is a lifetime resident of the city and has been mayor since 2024. She said if re-elected, she’ll continue the city’s work on local roads, public safety, and what Dee describes as unlocking the city's potential.
David Swift said he’s been involved in local government since he moved to Grover Beach in 2020. He’s currently serving as the city’s Vice Chair of the Planning Commission. His priorities include making the city more transparent and accountable.
Over the last year, one of the biggest issues has been housing, balancing what’s required by the state and how residents feel about more homes coming to the beach town.
“We have a lot of development happening in our city," Dee said. "Change is scary. Change is hard. It's my job as your mayor to make sure that we are accomplishing our goals, while also keeping the public informed and educated about why.”
Swift said if he’s elected, he plans to look for ways to revisit and tune the existing development codes.
“The planning commission and kind of the historical background, the intent and the desires of the community somehow have to be brought together," Swift said. "Not everyone is going to get what they want, but there are at least ought to be a healthy debate and conversation about it.”
Swift said, if elected, he wants to encourage more public discussion.
“We'll spend more time publicly deliberating and debating the items on the agenda… If you want healthy debate, dissent, public deliberations, “Why are we thinking this and where are we going with it?” you know, I'm the guy to go to," he said.
But Dee said the city is already offering community outreach programs and one-on-one meetings to hear residents’ concerns.
“Community engagement has been a priority to our city council over the last two years, and it will remain a priority of the city to incorporate community engagement in every little thing that we do," she said. "Myself and city staff are available to answer any questions at any time; all you need to do is reach out to us.”
City Council District 1
Kelvin Coveduck is one of the leading voices for the Save Grover Beach movement, encouraging a height limit on tall buildings in the city.
Shilo Terek is prioritizing public safety, safe streets, and transparent leadership while preserving the "small-town feel" of the city.
City Council District 2
Incumbent Jules Tuggle says she is prioritizing quality of life, infrastructure, smart community growth, fiscal responsibility, and transparency with city leaders in her campaign to be re-elected.
Allen Thompson is running against Tuggle and says his priorities are limiting building heights, fiscal responsibility, and citizen outreach.
