Blab Politics
Tracy Mayor Dan Arriola Welcomes Sprouts Farmers Market Opening While Pursuing Re-Election
On a bright September 4, 2026, Tracy’s mayor, Dan Arriola, stood beside the freshly unveiled Sprouts Farmers Market at the Ellis Village Center, an open‑air retail hub near the new Tracy Hills neighborhood. The store opened two years ahead of the chain’s first San Francisco location and was one of three Sprouts openings that day, the other two taking place on the East Coast.
Arriola, who has held the mayor’s office since 2024, posted a Facebook message that echoed the city’s growing optimism. He praised Sprouts as an anchor tenant for the Ellis Village Center and expressed excitement about the broader wave of commercial development sweeping southern Tracy.
The Ellis Village Center sits on a larger parcel slated to host more than 10,000 grocery‑anchored homes, according to Regency Centers, the developer. Positioned near Interstate 580, the project is designed to absorb the rapid influx of residents who commute across the Altamont Pass.
Arriola’s focus on orderly growth dates back to his first elected role on the Tracy City Council in 2018. He was the city’s first millennial and first LGBTQ councilmember, and before that he served on the school board starting in 2016.
While on the council, Arriola voted for a phased 110‑unit affordable senior housing complex downtown. The Housing Authority of San Joaquin projects the first 55 units to open in 2027.
"We need to build housing more effectively to stop the sprawl," Arriola told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. "Everyone who wants to live in our community should be able to."
Arriola is now campaigning for a second and final two‑year term as mayor. The city’s term‑limit rules allow a mayor to serve only two terms, and he has already reached the maximum number of terms as a councilmember.
The November 3 election will also mark the first time Tracy elects its four councilmembers by district. Candidates for District 1 and District 3 are on the ballot.
Arriola’s challengers include former councilmember Mateo Bedolla, who was appointed to finish Arriola’s council term after the mayoral election, and Uyiosa Felix Oviawe, a former public‑works asset manager and former Isleton city manager.
In his mayoral campaign, Arriola has highlighted several accomplishments. He oversaw the opening of a Trader Joe’s store in Tracy last summer, a project he said began with a meeting with the grocer’s leadership.
He also completed a top‑down revamp of city Hall’s civic leadership, which he described as his biggest achievement as mayor.
Arriola is a 2025 graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. His project, the Mayor’s Youth Cradle‑to‑Career Initiative, aims to provide high‑school students in Tracy with internships and apprenticeships.
He has received endorsements from state Senator Jerry McNerney, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, Tracy City Councilmembers, Pleasanton Unified School District board member Steve Abercrombie, Dotty Nygard, Stockton City Councilmember Mario Enriquez, and the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Arriola’s campaign website lists his platform and provides additional information about his mayoral candidacy.
The city’s upcoming election will determine whether Arriola continues to shape Tracy’s growth and economic development. The November 3 vote will also decide the new council composition and the city’s direction on affordable housing, infrastructure, and youth opportunities.
As of today, the Sprouts Farmers Market is open and operating in Tracy, and the mayor’s campaign is actively campaigning for re‑election. The city’s next steps will involve the November election results, potential council changes, and the continued development of the Ellis Village Center and senior housing projects.
Arriola, who has held the mayor’s office since 2024, posted a Facebook message that echoed the city’s growing optimism. He praised Sprouts as an anchor tenant for the Ellis Village Center and expressed excitement about the broader wave of commercial development sweeping southern Tracy.
The Ellis Village Center sits on a larger parcel slated to host more than 10,000 grocery‑anchored homes, according to Regency Centers, the developer. Positioned near Interstate 580, the project is designed to absorb the rapid influx of residents who commute across the Altamont Pass.
Arriola’s focus on orderly growth dates back to his first elected role on the Tracy City Council in 2018. He was the city’s first millennial and first LGBTQ councilmember, and before that he served on the school board starting in 2016.
While on the council, Arriola voted for a phased 110‑unit affordable senior housing complex downtown. The Housing Authority of San Joaquin projects the first 55 units to open in 2027.
"We need to build housing more effectively to stop the sprawl," Arriola told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent phone interview. "Everyone who wants to live in our community should be able to."
Arriola is now campaigning for a second and final two‑year term as mayor. The city’s term‑limit rules allow a mayor to serve only two terms, and he has already reached the maximum number of terms as a councilmember.
The November 3 election will also mark the first time Tracy elects its four councilmembers by district. Candidates for District 1 and District 3 are on the ballot.
Arriola’s challengers include former councilmember Mateo Bedolla, who was appointed to finish Arriola’s council term after the mayoral election, and Uyiosa Felix Oviawe, a former public‑works asset manager and former Isleton city manager.
In his mayoral campaign, Arriola has highlighted several accomplishments. He oversaw the opening of a Trader Joe’s store in Tracy last summer, a project he said began with a meeting with the grocer’s leadership.
He also completed a top‑down revamp of city Hall’s civic leadership, which he described as his biggest achievement as mayor.
Arriola is a 2025 graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. His project, the Mayor’s Youth Cradle‑to‑Career Initiative, aims to provide high‑school students in Tracy with internships and apprenticeships.
He has received endorsements from state Senator Jerry McNerney, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, Tracy City Councilmembers, Pleasanton Unified School District board member Steve Abercrombie, Dotty Nygard, Stockton City Councilmember Mario Enriquez, and the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Arriola’s campaign website lists his platform and provides additional information about his mayoral candidacy.
The city’s upcoming election will determine whether Arriola continues to shape Tracy’s growth and economic development. The November 3 vote will also decide the new council composition and the city’s direction on affordable housing, infrastructure, and youth opportunities.
As of today, the Sprouts Farmers Market is open and operating in Tracy, and the mayor’s campaign is actively campaigning for re‑election. The city’s next steps will involve the November election results, potential council changes, and the continued development of the Ellis Village Center and senior housing projects.
