Encinitas Urban Forest Advisory Committee chair and local landscape designer Brad Lefkowits is stepping into electoral politics with a bid for the District 4 City Council seat this year.
In a news release Tuesday, Feb. 3, Lefkowits said he is seeking office at a time when the city faces increasing pressure from federal overreach, state housing mandates, infrastructure demands and budget constraints. He said his campaign emphasizes what he described as pragmatic leadership and collaboration.
“Encinitas is at a pivotal moment,” Lefkowits said in the release. “I am running to bring common sense and collaboration back to City Hall so we can protect our coastal character, plan responsibly for growth, protect the most vulnerable members of our community and make decisions that are both legally sound and fiscally responsible.”
Lefkowits is positioning himself as an alternative to the current council majority, which includes Mayor Bruce Ehlers and councilmembers Luke Shaffer and Jim O’Hara, along with Marco San Antonio, who was appointed to the District 4 seat in January 2025.
The news release announcing his candidacy touched on several policy issues:
✓ Environmental protection and climate resilience, including tree preservation, native plants and sustainable landscaping.
✓ Managing growth and housing development in response to state mandates while protecting neighborhood character.
✓ Infrastructure planning and maintenance, including roads, utilities and public facilities.
✓ Fiscal responsibility and legally sound budgeting.
✓ Government transparency and public accountability.
✓ Collaboration among council members, staff and residents.
✓ Protection of coastal and community character.
✓ Advocacy for constitutional rights and civil liberties.
✓ Support for small businesses and local economic stability.
✓ Policies aimed at supporting vulnerable and underserved community members.
Lefkowits talked about the challenges of balancing state-mandated housing targets and local control.
“Our residents deserve leadership that manages growth responsibly, respects the budget and focuses on solutions that actually work,” he said in the news release. “This isn’t a black-and-white choice between no growth and unchecked development. The only honest path forward is smart, managed growth, and real local control comes from doing the hard work early, together, instead of making promises that collapse once you’re sworn in.”
Lefkowits, who owns Waves Landscape Design, has served on the Encinitas Urban Forest Advisory Committee since 2023 and is currently its chair. In that role, he has worked with city officials on policies related to tree preservation, native plants and parking lot shading standards, and has helped update the city’s master tree species list.
Related to that work, he noted his recognition from the Olivenhain Municipal Water District for his water-smart landscaping approach.
The candidate has also been outspoken on national and local issues, including criticism of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices and concerns about what he describes as government overreach. He said local leaders should speak openly about constitutional rights and public accountability.
“It is wrong to have masked, unidentified federal agents operating in our neighborhoods and detaining people on our streets. Everything else comes second,” Lefkowits said in the news release. “What we are witnessing from the Trump administration should offend anyone who loves this country and respects the Constitution. At every level of government, we need leaders who are willing to say so plainly.”
City Council District 4 includes Olivenhain, Village Park and surrounding neighborhoods in New Encinitas. Lefkowits has lived in the city with his family for five years.
Lefkowits and his wife, Joanie Mendenhall-Lefkowits, are founding members of Parents of EUSD, a watchdog group of community members within the Encinitas Union School District.
More information about Lefkowits’ campaign is available online at bradlefkowits.com.
