01
Streets & Infrastructure
Repaving streets, filling potholes, trimming trees, and keeping parks and trash collection on schedule. The basic services residents notice every day, done reliably.
Re-elect · November 3, 2026
BillRuh
A lifelong Montclair resident who has served this city on the Council since 1998 — and on the Planning Commission for a decade before that.
General Municipal Election · Tue, Nov 3, 2026 · Two council seats · Elected at-large
Since 1998
Lifelong Montclair
Lifelong Montclair
Bill Ruh
1998
On the City Council since
10
Years on the Planning Commission
1991
Elected to Monte Vista Water District
Nov 3
Election Day 2026
01
Meet Bill Ruh
Bill Ruh is a lifelong resident of Montclair. He was first elected to the City Council in November 1998, and before that he served ten years on the city's Planning Commission. In 1991 he was elected to the Monte Vista Water District board — the youngest person elected to it in the district's then-seventy-year history — and served there until 1998.
He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of La Verne, and has spent his career in government affairs, including work with the California State Assembly, the State Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Since 2002 he has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board. He was Mayor Pro Tem from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2020 to 2022.
Beyond the Council, his service has run through the institutions that hold Montclair together — health care, transit, and the organizations that quietly keep a city working. He is Secretary-Treasurer of the Gold Line Joint Powers Authority and the city's voting alternate at MTA, board president of the Health Service Alliance, and a trustee of both Montclair Hospital Medical Center and the Prime Healthcare Foundation. The full list is alongside.
02
Priorities for 2026
Six things Bill is running on — the day-to-day work of a city that people actually notice.
02
Public Safety
More police presence in neighborhoods and faster emergency response times, so that when someone calls, help arrives quickly.
03
Seniors
Expanding services and housing options for Montclair's seniors, so longtime residents can stay in the city they helped build.
04
Jobs & Local Business
Continuing the revitalization of Montclair Place and bringing new employers into the city — economic development that produces jobs residents can actually get to.
05
The Gold Line
Securing the funding to bring the Gold Line into Montclair. Bill serves as Secretary Treasurer of the Gold Line Joint Powers Authority and has worked this issue for years.
06
Youth & Families
Programs that keep kids safe and give families somewhere to go — including continued investment in fields, parks, and youth recreation.
Montclair is home. Let's keep building it.
03
Get Involved
Donate
City races are won on the ground, not on television. Contributions go straight into reaching Montclair voters directly.
- Lawn signs and door hangers
- Mail to Montclair households
- Phone calls and voter outreach
- Events across the city
Every amount counts
Municipal campaigns run on small local money, not big checks. A modest contribution from a neighbor goes further here than it ever would in a state or federal race.
Donate now →
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Volunteer With Us
Knock doors. Make calls. Host a sign. Two council seats are on the ballot and turnout decides city elections — even a few hours moves the needle.
- Walk our neighborhood
- Make phone calls
- Host a lawn sign
- Host a meet-and-greet
- Help at campaign events
- Office and data help
Optional
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04
Contact
Questions, volunteering, endorsements, or press — this reaches the campaign directly.
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
General Municipal Election
Two council seats, elected at-large.
The mayor's seat is also on the ballot.