Benicia City Council · November 2026

Justin Zollars

Homeowner. Engineer. Neighbor.

Benicia's small-town character is worth protecting as we grow. I'm running to keep the basics right — parks, roads, and a budget that adds up — and to get the surveillance cameras out of our town.

Who I am

I'm a Benicia homeowner and civic advocate. I've spent fifteen years building technology at companies including Adobe and Veracyte, where I work today as a software engineer in cancer genomics.

I'm also a startup founder, with hands-on experience managing work and budgets between disparate parties — engineers, partners, and customers. In 2008, I represented my community as an elected delegate to a presidential nominating convention, pledged to a candidate who would go on to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.

On weekends, I sail.

What I'll work on

Remove the license plate cameras

I led local opposition to Flock Safety's automated license plate reader cameras in Benicia. These cameras track every driver's movements and store the data indefinitely. That data can be subject to warrantless federal demands — sharing your every movement with ICE, with no accountability to Benicia residents.

The spirit of this kind of deployment is dystopian and deeply pessimistic: un-American, and much closer to what you'd expect in unfree, heavily surveilled societies. I will remove these cameras from Benicia.

Parks, roads, and budgets

The unglamorous work is the work that matters. Maintained parks, paved roads, and a budget that's honest about what the city can afford are what make Benicia a beautiful place to live. I'll keep Council focused there.

Growth that keeps Benicia, Benicia

Our small-town character is an asset, not an obstacle. Growth should be shaped so that the town our neighbors chose is still here in twenty years.

I'd be honored to earn your vote.

Questions, ideas, or want a yard sign? justin@votejz.com