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For some, summer sun means barbecues and bucolic vacations. But for others, summer is the time to gear up for fall elections. 

That’s what Carol Hughes-Willoughby is doing. The southwest Berkeley resident has filed papers with the city clerk, allowing her to form a campaign committee and raise funds for a run for the District 2 City Council seat. 

She’ll be facing off against incumbent Margaret Breland, who was unavailable for an interview Friday. Hughes-Willoughby does not sound much like a politician when she talks about her rival for the seat. 

“Margaret Breland has a heart. I don’t have anything against her,” said the Berkeley native, who is pastor and founder of New Life Ministries in Oakland. 

“I think I’m a little more energetic. I’m not a rubber-stamp person,” she said, noting that she had conversations with former District 2 Council member Mary Wainwright, who lost to Breland four years ago, but had not yet begun to seek formal endorsements. 

Vice chair of the Human Welfare Commission, Hughes-Willoughby said she decided to take a stab at political life when the commission was sifting through funding requests from nonprofit agencies. She said she found very little proposed for youth age 17-25 and that the city has not done enough to fill the void. 

As councilmember, she says she would focus her work on young people and seniors. Hughes-Willoughby, who has been clean and sober for 14 years, says her work helping people has been informed by her years addicted to drugs and alcohol. She said she has been homeless and knows what that is like.  

An instructor at an after-school program at Malcolm X School, Hughes-Willoughby says her religious beliefs have been an important part of her recovery. 

Breland’s aide, Calvin Fong, confirmed Breland is planning to run again for the office. She was elected for her first term in 1996. 

All the other City Council incumbents said they are throwing their hats back into the familiar ring, including Maudelle Shirek, who has been councilmember for the south Berkeley flatlands District 3 since 1984, and Diane Woolley, who has been councilmember for District 5, the north central part of the city, since 1994. The fourth race will be in District 6, Betty Olds’ north hills district. Olds has been in office since 1992. 

Hughes-Willoughby is the only challenger to have established a campaign committee. The incumbents all have active committees. Formal nominations for the City Council, two School Board seats and four Rent Stabilization Board seats will open on July 17 and close August 11.  

Election day is Nov. 7. For several weeks before the elections, voting by computer will be offered in the city clerk’s office at 1900 Addison St. 

Information on running for office is available at the clerk’s office and on line at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/clerk/Election/eintro.htm.