Peter Szalai
Salinas should be the jewel of Monterey County
On what Salinas should look like in 10 years
Key Issues
About
Peter Szalai has deep roots in Salinas, having lived here at several points since 1960, from childhood during his father’s military service to returning in 2019 to care for his mother. He now lives on his family’s North Salinas property, supporting her ability to age in place.
Peter spent nearly 40 years in public education as a middle school teacher and later as an administrator of teaching and learning. He was highly active in teacher union leadership, including 11 years as a local president, where he led negotiations, advocacy efforts, and represented educators at state and national levels.
In retirement, Peter has become a citizen-advocate, working with local officials to improve public services. He has served on the Measure E and Measure G Sales Tax Oversight Committees. His run for mayor reflects his long-standing commitment to making local government more effective and responsive.
Biography and issue labels summarize the candidate’s questionnaire response, published March 31, 2026. The complete answers appear below with their substance retained; any formatting or safety change is marked.
At a Glance
2026 Filings
Data as of 2026-09-19. From the campaign statements committees filed with the City of Salinas; coverage differs by committee.
Committee: Szalai for Salinas Mayor 2026 ID 1488922
Statement coverage: 2026-01-01 to 2026-09-19
- Monetary contributions
- $5,546
- Later reported receipts
- $0
- Payments
- $18,859
- Ending cash
- $4,265
- New loans received (gross)
- $17,791
- In-kind
- $0
- Itemized unpaid bills
- $0
- Outstanding debt
- $17,500
Each measure is reported separately and never added to another. Ending cash, unpaid bills and outstanding debt are balances at the end of the coverage period; later receipts were reported after the committee’s latest full statement.
This candidate in 2026 Money →In Their Own Words 3 min read
Transparent Salinas uses the same six-question form for candidates it contacts in a covered race; outreach dates can differ and are listed in each profile. Responses retain their substance; any formatting or safety redaction is marked.
1. What’s one thing about Salinas that keeps you up at night?
“Insolvency. The budget now has a structural deficit for the foreseeable future, which means we spend more than we have. This is unsustainable.”
2. What’s something you think the city is getting right that people don’t see?
“The city is improving in how it communicates with the public. There are multiple citizen oversight commissions, almost all public meetings are recorded and available on YouTube, and the city’s website and publications are professional and easy to access.”
3. If you could fix one thing in your district tomorrow, what would it be?
“The tendency to confuse wants with needs. Our city has a long history of neglecting critical needs, such as infrastructure, in favor of politically-beneficial desires of often small constituencies. When you’re running yearly deficits and your streets, sidewalks, sewer system, streetlights, etc. are in poor repair, you need to set priorities-which sometimes means saying ‘no’ to popular wishes.”
4. What is an improvement you’ve made in your district or the city that you’re proud of? Or plan on making if elected?
“As a citizen-advocate, I’m proud of frequently engaging with city leaders and staff to provide considered advice and feedback on a wide variety of issues, in the hope that better decisions will result.”
5. What do you want to be remembered for when your term ends?
“That I was a fair arbiter, worked with any and everyone, had no narrow agenda, served no cabal of wealthy donors or master other than the good people of Salinas.”
6. What should Salinas look like in 10 years?
“Salinas should be the jewel of Monterey County, the county’s seat, the largest city. Salinas should be clean, safe, welcoming, economically-vibrant, a city that provides services equitably throughout the six districts and cares about its neighborhoods. A city where any and everyone is proud to live there.”
Timeline
Questionnaire responses retain their substance; clearly marked formatting or safety redactions may be made. Candidates the project contacts in the same covered race receive the same questions, but not necessarily on the same date; the invitation and response status above reflects the project’s outreach log. Unless submitted in Spanish, text on Spanish pages is a Transparent Salinas translation; if it differs, the original-language response controls. Compare this full 2026 field.