Laurene Weste
CA · Mayor, City of Santa Clarita
Laurene Weste is serving her seventh term as Santa Clarita's mayor and is a former city Parks and Recreation Commissioner. Her priorities are acquiring more open space to ring the city and building a Saugus community center and library.
Where Laurene Weste stands, based on their records
Supports
Environment and Public Health (5 records), Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record), Civil Rights (1 record),
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 3 oppose), Housing Affordability (2 support · 2 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 5 support
Publicly backed Rep. George Whitesides' bill setting new federal rules on mining near Santa Clarita, citing the city's long fight against the Soledad Canyon mega-mine.
May 11, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: whitesides.house.gov
Made the motion to spend $25,000 on a study of Santa Clarita forming its own public health department; it passed 4-1.
September 22, 2020Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Testified to a U.S. House subcommittee in support of the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act (H.R. 1708), a bill to expand protected park land around Santa Clarita.
April 2, 2019Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: docs.house.gov
Voted yes on a council letter about climate change, approved as amended 4-1.
January 23, 2018Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Moved to ask the county sanitation district to drop a proposed deep-well site for treated wastewater near homes and look elsewhere; it passed 5-0. She voted no on opposing deep-well injection anywhere in the valley, which failed 2-3.
March 10, 2015Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 3 oppose
Voted yes on a 2.5% yearly raise for future council members; it passed 3-1.
April 14, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Cast the only no vote against a council pay raise of up to 10% for 2023 and 2024; it passed 3-1.
March 12, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Made the motion to spend $25,000 on a study of Santa Clarita forming its own public health department; it passed 4-1.
September 22, 2020Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Made the motion to raise council pay by 5% for each of 2015 and 2016 (10% total, starting 2017); it passed 3-2.
January 12, 2016Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support
Voted no on ending Santa Clarita's red-light camera program; the council ended it 3-2.
March 24, 2015Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — Housing Affordability
Housing Affordability · 2 support · 2 oppose
Voted no on the Promenade Flats apartment and retail project; the council approved it 3-2. She said it had too little parking.
October 22, 2024Opposes Housing Affordability
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Made the motion to approve an agreement with a developer on the future Sunridge plan, a proposal for up to 6,500 homes; it passed 3-1.
September 10, 2024Supports Housing Affordability
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Voted no on extending the city's COVID-19 ban on evicting renters through September 30, 2020; the extension failed 2-3. She said the ban hurt small businesses and property owners.
August 25, 2020Opposes Housing Affordability
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Seconded and voted yes to apply for a state planning grant for a mixed-use city center with new housing; it passed 4-1.
June 23, 2020Supports Housing Affordability
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 1 support
Voted yes to adopt Map 113, the first map of council voting districts, after a voting rights lawsuit; it passed 4-1.
May 30, 2023Supports Civil Rights
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 1 support
Made the motion to update the city's speed hump program; it passed 3-1.
April 23, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Track record — General
General · 12 records
Voted yes on looser oak tree rules for existing buildings, with fees used to grow new oaks; it passed 4-1.
March 10, 2026
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Cast the only no vote on denying an appeal to build a self-storage site on Lyons Avenue; the council denied it 4-1. She cited the economy.
February 24, 2026
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Was chosen mayor by the council for 2026; she then seconded Patsy Ayala for mayor pro tem, who won 3-2 over Marsha McLean.
December 9, 2025
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Nominated Daniel Faina to the Planning Commission seat left open by Denise Lite's removal; the council approved him.
August 26, 2025
Source: santaclarita.gov
Asked the council to remove her own Planning Commission appointee, Denise Lite, saying Lite did not meet or talk with her. The council removed Lite 3-2.
July 8, 2025
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Stepped back from the council vote on the Hartwell project in Old Town Newhall, citing caution, after her private talks with the developer drew conflict-of-interest concerns.
April 22, 2025
Source: hometownstation.com
Endorsed Republican Patrick Lee Gipson for State Assembly against Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo.
August 8, 2024
Source: gipson4assembly.com
Seconded and voted yes on tighter rules for oversized vehicles and vehicles parked on streets over 72 hours; it passed 4-1.
April 11, 2023
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Voted yes to delay drawing new council voting districts until the county lifted COVID-19 rules on public gatherings; it passed 3-2.
May 26, 2020
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Was named the city's delegate to the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative.
March 26, 2019
Source: santaclarita.gov
Made the motion to appoint Bill Miranda to fill an open City Council seat; it passed 3-1.
January 17, 2017
Source: santaclaritacityca.iqm2.com
Was named by the council as a director on the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts board.
December 9, 2014
Source: santaclarita.gov
Past race Laurene Weste ran in:
- Member of the City Council, District 4 · November 3, 2026 · Santa Clarita city, California · incumbent