Hezekiah Gonzalez
2026 filings: data as of 2026-10-17
2026 Filings
Data as of 2026-10-17. From the campaign statements committees filed with the City of Salinas; coverage differs by committee.
- Monetary contributions
- Unavailable not zero
No committee in the City’s e-filed exports used here was matched to this candidate; the City’s portal may list filings that are not in those exports. The 2026 figures are unavailable, not zero.
The race
Data as of 2026-10-17. Monetary contributions each committee reported in its 2026 campaign statements. Coverage differs by committee.
Candidates appear in the order of the source table. Each figure is one measure, reported separately and never added to another; loans, in-kind support and later receipts are not included in these figures. “Unavailable” means no committee in the City’s e-filed exports used here was matched to that candidate; it is not zero.
Let my actions carry the weight my political experience cannot.
From his questionnaire biographical statement
Key Issues
About
Hezekiah Gonzalez is a first-time candidate for Mayor of Salinas in the 2026 election. He was born in 2006 at Natividad Hospital in Salinas and attended Salinas High School before enrolling at Hartnell College, where he studies civil engineering.
In his questionnaire response, Gonzalez says he has never held elected office and is running because he sees a structural gap in how Salinas residents learn about city government — leaving many to rely on secondhand accounts from teachers, coworkers, and family rather than direct information. He says that if elected, he would pause his education to spend more time listening to Salinas residents and working on the infrastructure improvements he believes the city needs.
Gonzalez centers his campaign on expanding civic education, applying his engineering background to the city’s infrastructure needs, and building youth involvement in local government, arguing that engaging the next generation of residents is central to the city’s future.
Biography and issue labels summarize the candidate’s questionnaire response, published August 26, 2026. The complete answers appear below with their substance retained; any formatting or safety change is marked.
Candidacy verified via the Monterey County Elections November 3, 2026 Candidate List, accessed August 26, 2026.
At a Glance
In Their Own Words 2 min read
Transparent Salinas uses the same six-question form for candidates it contacts in a covered race; outreach dates can differ and are listed in each profile. Responses retain their substance; any formatting or safety redaction is marked.
Hezekiah Gonzalez returned the form on August 13, 2026, with a three-part biographical statement and an answer to one of the six questions, and his answers to the remaining five questions were published on October 28, 2026.
1. What’s one thing about Salinas that keeps you up at night?
“There is a lack of hope in the future of Salinas. I’ve heard it from ranging social classes, neighborhoods, and age; every citizen recognizes the opportunity for change. Inciting meaningful change means fostering the next generation of community to build a better Salinas. Supporting the culture around community involvement shows our city that everyday voices can, actually, make a difference. When young people don’t see a voice for themselves in their own city, we have to ask what has the city done for them.”
2. What’s something you think the city is getting right that people don’t see?
“Dennis Donnohue has improved communication to the public on city projects through his podcasts and social media presence. There is still major room for improvement—the city needs a renewed emphasis on listening to the concerns of the normal people. Delays in key improvements that the city has been requesting for years demonstrates that there is still a way to go. The people know what can be done for them—now it’s a matter of listening and putting it into action. Although, government officials still delay key improvements that the residents of Salinas have been requesting for years.”
3. If you could fix one thing in your district tomorrow, what would it be?
“As a District 3 resident, my voice is Margaret D’Arrigo. Her recent controversies have made her untrustworthy; her decisions to repel renter protections. Margaret’s recent disclosure controversy in her form 700 remains under investigation waiting on the final decision from the FPPC. She has not shown a great standard for our district.”
4. What is an improvement you’ve made in your district or the city that you’re proud of? Or plan on making if elected?
“I have committed to taking the time to talk to the people of Salinas even prior to running for mayor. Intergenerational dialogues with peers at community college, Old town residents, Salinas community event goers, and the average person willing to have a conservation have all taught me about what our neighbors want, dislike, and have questions about. If elected, I want to improve renter protection rights by supporting legislation such as Measure H, expand post-secondary opportunities, give people more to do by supporting neighborhood events and cultural celebrations, and improve road response standards.”
5. What do you want to be remembered for when your term ends?
“The difference between just being the Salad bowl of the nation and being Salinas. We’re more than the Salad Bowl, it’s time for Salinas to realize cultivating the culture of their community is just as important as feeding the country.”
6. What should Salinas look like in 10 years?
“Salinas is ready to become somewhere people are excited to live. We’re reaching the limits of what our current agricultural practices can sustainably support. It’s time to diversify our economy by supporting events like the Old Town Farmer’s Market, recreational events, and live music.”
Timeline
Questionnaire responses retain their substance; clearly marked formatting or safety redactions may be made. Candidates the project contacts in the same covered race receive the same questions, but not necessarily on the same date; the invitation and response status above reflects the project’s outreach log. Unless submitted in Spanish, text on Spanish pages is a Transparent Salinas translation; if it differs, the original-language response controls. Compare this full 2026 field.
Terms on this page
Plain-language meanings from the site glossary. The official labels stay as filed.
- Monetary contributions
- Money a committee reported receiving as contributions: the Schedule A total, itemized plus unitemized amounts (Summary line 1). New loans and in-kind contributions are not included. It can include loan forgiveness, so it is not always all new cash.
About these numbers
- Each 2026 figure is its own measure. The 2026 figures are not added together, within a committee or across committees.
- Unavailable (not zero): Shown when a figure could not be established from the filings used here, such as when no committee was matched to a candidate or a committee has no 2026 full statement. It does not mean zero dollars.
- Names withheld: individual contributors below the disclosure threshold are pooled into one row. Pooled amounts remain in funding totals.
- Loans, in-kind support and contributions reported after a committee’s last full statement are shown separately from monetary contributions.
- Reports filed after the export date may be missing. Check the City’s NetFile portal for newer filings.
- Positions of ballot-measure committees are as their filings or the City’s portal state them. They are not endorsements by Transparent Salinas.