Jeff Leonard enters race for Eureka’s 5th Ward seat

Jeff Leonard entered the race for Eureka City Council’s 5th Ward seat on June 25, putting a familiar former councilmember back in front of voters as the city heads toward its November election. The seat is held by Renee Contreras-DeLoach, whose current term runs through November 2026, and the filing period opens July 13 and closes August 7.

Leonard previously represented Eureka’s 3rd Ward from 2002 to 2010, serving two successful terms on the council. He now works for State Fund handling workers’ compensation claims for the state, and his campaign message leans heavily on his long ties to Eureka: he grew up here, attended local schools, left for college and work, and returned in 2000 to raise his family in the city.

That personal history is likely to be measured against the practical record of City Hall. The Eureka City Council can adopt ordinances and resolutions, approve appointments, establish policy, approve programs, appropriate funds, approve contracts and respond to residents’ concerns. In a ward race that will sit on the November 3, 2026 ballot, that power makes housing, public safety, infrastructure and budget priorities more than campaign talking points; they are the issues residents will use to judge whether the city is headed in the right direction.

Leonard’s earlier council service was marked by support for local business and what he described as responsible economic growth. He backed projects including Eureka Natural Foods, the Eureka Co-op, Target, Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Bayfront One and Eureka Fisherman’s Terminal. He also played a role in energy and recreation policy, serving as a founding member of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority and board chair for several years.

RCEA was founded in 2003 as a local government joint powers authority, with members that include the Yurok Tribe, Humboldt County, Eureka, Arcata, Blue Lake, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Trinidad and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. Leonard also led the Eureka Trails Committee, helped develop the Eureka Waterfront Trail plan, worked on neighborhood park improvements and served on the Zoo Foundation Board.

Those waterfront decisions still matter because the city’s planning documents envision the Eureka Waterfront Trail as a 6.3-mile contiguous route, while the Waterfront Eureka Plan covers about 130 acres in northern Eureka and is intended to support redevelopment, mixed-use development and housing production. In a district that drew a close result in 2022, when Contreras-DeLoach won 53.58% to Nicholas Kohl’s 46.42%, Leonard’s return sets up an early test of whether Ward 5 wants continuity or a sharper change in direction.