Debbie Ruddock

Candidate for City Council Member, Half Moon Bay, District 4 · Retired Legislative Analyst

Debbie Ruddock has lived on the Coastside for 37 years and raised her family in Half Moon Bay. She holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Rochester. She spent more than 20 years as a project planner and legislative analyst with the California State Coastal Conservancy, working on land conservation, habitat protection, trails, and public access, and served four years as an alternate member of the California Coastal Commission. She has served 24 years on the Half Moon Bay City Council, including multiple terms as mayor, and was most recently selected as mayor for 2026 -- her fifth time in the role. She chairs OneShoreline, the regional agency leading flooding and sea-level-rise preparedness work for San Mateo County's coast.

Ruddock highlights her work leading Measure A and Measure D and updating the Local Coastal Land Use Plan to protect beaches, open space, and the town's small-town character. She has focused on resolving dangerous intersections and improving safety along Highway 1 and Highway 92, and on expanding the Coastal Trail. On housing, she points to Stone Pine Cove, which created more than 40 permanent homes for farmworkers. As chair of OneShoreline she leads regional flooding and sea-level-rise preparedness and helped advance the city's first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. She also emphasizes promoting a healthy tax base and a vibrant downtown that strengthens rather than strains city finances.

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