Folks have been telling me the last couple of days that citizens seem downright disinterested in running for local public office.

They cite the lack of a contested Pittburg City Council race — the first one in 60 years — and only one challenger running against the two Concord City Council incumbents. And there are 13 school board races in the East Bay with no challengers.

Local public office is a tough job, no question. Agencies face tight budget times. Running a campaign is expensive and scary. Elected officials are under media and public scrutiny. And God forbid you should actually win; that means you have to govern and perhaps make unpopular decisions.

Statistically, however, the same number of people are running in Contra Costa County this November as did in November 2004, the last presidential election. In 2004, the ballot featured 104 races and 279 candidates. This year, it’s 109 races and 279 candidates. That’s an average of 2.7 candidates per race in 2004 and 2008.

At 52, there is only one fewer contested race this year compared with 2004, too.

But the other component, which is not as quantifiable, centers around the viability of the challengers. In some of the races, these challengers are perennial unsuccessful candidates or are almost completely unknown in the political community. Do these folks have the ability to raise money and run a winning campaign? We’ll see.

Read more for the full list of East Bay candidates. Note that the list does not include uncontested races. To see a full list of all races, both contested and uncontested, click on Contra Costa County or Alameda County.

Note: I’ve been updating this list today as the clerks finalize the names and communicate the details to the county election offices.

ON THE BALLOT
The candidates in the following contested races have qualified to appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. (i) indicates incumbent. Uncontested races are not listed.

CONGRESS

U.S. Rep., District 7: (Pittsburg to North Richmond and portions of Solano County from Vacaville to Benicia) George Miller, Dem. (i); Roger Petersen, Rep.; Camden McConnell, Libertarian; Bill Callison, Peace and Freedom

U.S. Rep. District 9: (Eastern Alameda County from Berkeley to Oakland to Castro Valley) Barbara Lee, Dem. (i); James Eyer, Libertarian; Charles Hargrave, Rep.

U.S. Rep., District 10: (Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, eastern Contra Costa County, portions of Solano County from Dixon to Suisun City and Livermore) Ellen Tauscher, Dem. (i); Nicholas Gerber, Rep.; Eugene Ruyle, Peace and Freedom

U.S. Rep., District 11: (San Ramon Valley, portions of the Tri-Valley, western San Joaquin County and a sliver of western Santa Clara County) Jerry McNerney, Dem. (i); Dean Andal, Rep.

U.S. Rep., District 13: (Southern Alameda County from San Leandro to the countyline and eastward to parts of Pleasanton) Fourtney “Pete” Stark, (i); Dem.; Raymond Chui, Rep.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE

Senate, District 7: (Most of Contra Costa County except Richmond) Mark DeSaulnier, Dem.; Christian Amsberry, Rep.

Senate, District 9: (Richmond and stretches south through Berkeley, Piedmont, Oakland and eastward to Castro Valley, Dublin, Livermore and the county line) Claudia Bermudez, Rep.; Marsha Feinland, Peace and Freedom; and Loni Hancock, Dem.

Assembly, District 11: (Northern Contra Costa Costa County from Antioch westward to Pinole) Tom Torlakson, Dem.; Elizabeth Hansen, Rep.

Assembly, District 15: (Portions of Sacramento County from Elk Grove south, western San Joaquin County, far eastern Contra Costa County, Livermore and the San Ramon Valley) Joan Buchanan, Dem.; H. Abram Wilson, Rep.

Assembly, District 16: (Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont) Sandre Swanson, Dem. (i); James Faison, Dem.

Assembly, District 18: (Dublin, portions of Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward and San Leandro) Mary Hayashi, Dem. (i); Lou Filipovich, Rep.

Assembly District 20: (Fremont, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, and portions of Hayward, Castro Valley, Sunol, Pleasanton, and San Jose): Alberto Torrico (i), Dem.; Jeffrey Wald, Rep.

REGIONAL

AC-Transit, at-large: Joyce Roy, Christian Peeples (i)

AC-Transit, Ward 2 (Includes Emeryville, Piedmont and portions of Berkeley and Oakland): Greg Harper (i), James Muhammad

BART, District 5 (includes Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon, plus parts of Castro Valley Hayward and Danville): John McPartland, Linda Jeffery Sailors

BART, District 7 (includes Albany, Emeryville, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo and parts of San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito, El Sobrante): Marshall Walker III, Lynette Sweet (i)

East Bay Municipal Utility District, Ward 1 (Includes parts of Richmond and Pinole, and all of Crockett, Hercules, Rodeo and San Pablo): Lesa McIntosh (i), Charles Smith

East Bay Municipal Utility District, Ward 5 (includes Alameda, San Lorenzo, West Oakland, the Oakland Airport Area and a portion of San Leandro): Doug Linney (i), Susi Ostlund

East Bay Municipal Utility District, Ward 6: (Includes East Oakland and the portion of Oakland south of Park Boulevard and Fifth Avenue): Bob Feinbaum, Bill Patterson (i)

East Bay Regional Park District, Ward 1 (includes Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Kensington, a portion of Oakland, a small part of Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo): Norman LaForce, Whitney Dotson

ALAMEDA COUNTY

Alameda County Water District (three seats): James Gunther (i), Robert Irvin, Marty Koller (i), John Weed (i)

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, District 5: (Bethel Island, Antioch, Pittsburg, Bay Point and Oakley) Federal Glover (i), Gary Agopian

Contra Costa County Community College District, Ward 5 (Includes Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Knightsen, Oakley, Pittsburg): Jo Ann Cookman (i), Jess Reyes

EAST CONTRA COSTA

Antioch Unified School District (three seats): Walter Ruehlig (i), Diane Gibson-Gray, Claire Smith (i), Sean Wright, Kristy Nielsen

Liberty Union High School District (two seats): Holly Hartman (i), Raymond Valverde, David Dal Porto (i)

Knightsen School District (three seats): Dorothy Walter (i), Franklin Dell (i), Barbara Cecchini (i), Seth Cockrell

Antioch mayor: Don Freitas (i); Jim Davis

Antioch City Council (two seats): Mary Rocha, Brian Kalinowski (i), Arne Simonsen (i)

Antioch treasurer: Anthony Puccio, Janet Davis, Robert Kalafate, Donna Conley (i)

Brentwood mayor: Bob Taylor (i), Teresa Wooten

Brentwood City Council (two seats): Erick Stonebarger (i), Robert Brockman (i), Roger Short

Oakley City Council (three seats): Patricia Anderson (i), Kevin Romick (i), Bob Caughron, Rodger McKeon, Brad Nix (i), Jim Frazier

Discovery Bay Community Services District (two seats): Mark Simon, Ray Tetreault, Bob Doran (i), Jennifer Finetti

Los Medanos Community Healthcare District (two seats): Joe Rubi (i), J. Vern Cromartie (i), Darnell Turner, Nadiri Jumoke

Bethel Island Municipal Utility District (three seats): Ralph Maloney, Janet Northam, Dennis Eisenbeis, Thomas Knorr Jr. (i), Robert Amrine Jr., Jeff Rocca, Paul Harper

Ambrose Park and Recreation District (two seats): Le’Andra Le’Shelle Turner, Connie Tolleson, Marcia Ravizza, Gloria Magelby (i), Eva Garcia (i), Reina Cardona

WEST CONTRA COSTA

John Swett Unified School District (three seats): Jerry Parsons, Kyle Stockholm, Benita Shaw-Malone (i), Norma Clerici (i), Jim Delgadillo

West Contra Costa Unified School District (two seats): Antonia Medrano, Tony Thurmond, Robert Studdiford, Karen Pfeifer (i)

El Cerrito City Council (three seats): Bill Jones (i), Greg Lyman, David Boisvert, Ann Cheng, Andrew Ting

Hercules City Council (three seats): Ed Balico (i), Joanne Ward (i), John Delgado, Donald Kuehne

Pinole City Council: Roy Swearingen (i), Peter Murray (i), Maria Alegria

Pinole treasurer: Judy Lee (i), Ivette Ricco

Richmond City Council (three seats): Jeff Ritterman, Nat Bates (i), Chris Tallerico, Jovanka Beckles, Rock Brown, Thomas Butt (i), Harpreet Sandhu (i), John Marquez (i), Courtland “Corkey” Booze, Navdeep Garcha

San Pablo City Council (three seats): Charles Nicholas, Leonard McNeil (i), Espo, Jerry Sattler, Cecilia Valdez, Arturo Cruz

Kensington Police Protection and Community Services District (two seats): Joan Gallegos (i), Chuck Toombs, Cathie Kosel

West County Wastewater District (two seats): Jim Cowen, Michael Caine (i), Alfred Granzella (i)

CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA

Mt. Diablo Unified School District (two seats): Gary Eberhart (i), Jeff Adams, Sherry Whitmarsh, April Treece (i)

Clayton City Council (three seats): Jim Diaz, Daniel Richardson, Howard Geller, Julie Pierce (i), Joseph Medrano, Keith Haydon, Allen Lampo, Harun Simbirdi

Concord City Council (two seats): Bill Shinn (i), Mark Peterson (i), La Shawn Wells

Lafayette City Council (three seats): Gabriel Froymovich, Carol Federighi (i), Carl Anduri (i), Mike Anderson (i)

Martinez City Council (two seats): Mark Ross (i), Michael Alford, Janet Kennedy (i), Bradley Jackson

Martinez Treasurer: Charles Martin, Carolyn Robinson (i)

Moraga Town Council (three seats): Howard Harpham, Brad Kvederis, Michael Metcalf (i), Janice Kolbe, Dennis Wanken, Karen Mendonca

Orinda City Council (two seats): Victoria Smith (i), Steven Glazer (i), Bob Larsen

Pleasant Hill City Council (three seats): Keith Hunt, John Hanecak (i), Karen Mitchoff, David Durant (i), Bruce Weissenberger

Walnut Creek City Council (three seats): Sol Henik, Bob Simmons, Gary Skrel (i), Kish Rajan

Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District, Division 2 (one seat): Fred Weil (i), Bob Nelson

Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District, Division 5 (one seat): Gene Gottfried (i), Brook Mancinelli

Mt. View Sanitary District (three seats): David Maggi (i), Randell Williams (i), Jim Fredericks, Elmer Schaal

SAN RAMON VALLEY

Danville Town Council (three seats): Candace Andersen (i), Mike Doyle (i), Newell Arnerich (i), Marianne Bordogna

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District (three seats): Kenneth Sandy (i), Roxanne Lindsay (i), Glenn Umont, Thomas Linari

TRI-VALLEY/CASTRO VALLEY

Castro Valley Unified School District (three seats): John Barbieri (i), Marc Crawford, Jo Loss (i), Kunio Okui (i), Judith Radousky

Dublin Unified School District (three seats): Dan Cherrier, Dan Cunningham, John Ledahl (i), Norm Lee, Greg Tomlinson

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (two seats): Stewart Gary, Thomas McLaughlin (i), Bill Morrison (i), Charles Rogge Jr.

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, Area 1: Jesus Armas, Marshall Mitzman

Pleasanton Unified School District (three seats): Valerie Arkin, Jeff Bowser, Chris Grant (i), Jamie Yee Hintzke, Stephen Page, Prasad Rallapalli

Dublin mayor: Tim Sbranti, Elizabeth King, Shawn Costello

Dublin City Council (two seats): Kasie Hildenbrand (i), John Zukoski, Robert Boboc, Kevin Hart, Elpi Abulencia

Pleasanton mayor: Jennifer Hosterman (i), Steve Brozosky

Pleasanton City Council (two seats): Matt Sullivan (i), Cindy McGovern (i), Howard Neely, Jerry Pentin

Castro Valley Sanitary District (three seats): Daniel Akagi (i), Hera Alikian, Timothy McGowan (i), Dennis Waespi (i)

Dublin-San Ramon Services District (three seats): Dan Scannell (i), David Pulice, Dwight Howard (i), Richard Halket (i)

Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (two seats): Steve Goodman (i), Beth Wilson (i), Barbara Kraybill