“I’m ready, steady and committed to service.”
Press release, August 1, 2026
**BENICIA, Calif. [August 1, 2026] — Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye today announced she is running for reelection in November 2026, seeking a second term to continue the work she began after taking office in 2022.
Birdseye’s first term coincided with one of the most consequential periods in Benicia’s recent history, as the city confronted the winding down of Valero’s refinery operations and the loss of a major piece of its tax base. During that time, she helped lead the council’s development and implementation of the new Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance, chaired the city’s task force coordinating with Benicia Industrial Park businesses and the Port of Benicia on the refinery site’s transition, and consistently promoted economic diversification, including exploring the port’s potential role in offshore wind manufacturing.
“‘We’re in the middle of the most important transition Benicia has faced in decades,” said Council Member Birdseye. “I’m running for reelection to continue my transparent, intelligent, independent leadership to this city. The next four years will require a steady focus on what’s best for our community in the short and long term. I’m ready, steady and committed to service.”
Birdseye’s public service in Benicia predates her council seat by a decade. She joined the Human Services Board in 2012, was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2014, and later chaired that commission — including during its 2016 decision to reject Valero’s proposal to bring crude oil into the city by rail.
Before entering local politics, Birdseye spent 11 years at CNN, where she was part of an Emmy Award-winning news team, and later worked in communications for the Wine Institute and Earthjustice. She currently serves as Director of Regional Media and Public Affairs at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Birdseye and her husband, James, have lived in Benicia since 2000 and raised their two children, Julia and Joey, in the city’s schools.
Her campaign says the reelection bid will center on finishing the work started in her first term: guiding the redevelopment of the former refinery site, protecting Benicia’s air and water, and stabilizing the city’s finances for the long term. More information on Birdseye’s campaign, including how to volunteer or donate, is available at VoteKariBirdseye.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.