Debbie Ruddock has spent nearly four decades on the Coastside — as a commuter, a parent, a state project planner, and a City Council member. Here's her story.
Debbie Ruddock has lived on the Coastside for 37 years. She was born and raised in Upstate New York, and after moving to the Bay Area she and her husband put down roots in Half Moon Bay. She raised her family here, and her children attended local public schools. For more than 30 years, she commuted on Highway 92 and Highway 1 — giving her firsthand, everyday experience with the traffic, road closures and infrastructure challenges Coastside families face.
When development pressure threatened the Coastside, Debbie joined a community coalition that supported voter initiatives and legislation to manage growth and protect open space. She helped lead the successful Measure A initiative and co-authored Measure D, the City's growth management program. She also led the citizen initiative that moved City Council elections from odd to even years, increasing voter engagement and participation.
During her terms on the Half Moon Bay City Council, Debbie has helped lead the City through significant fiscal challenges, the development and adoption of the City's certified Local Coastal Land Use Plan, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 farm worker shooting, adoption of the City's restrictive short-term vacation rental ordinance, ongoing state housing requirements, and major improvements to the Coastside's wastewater treatment system. As Mayor and through her service on regional boards, she has worked with local, county and state partners to bring funding, technical expertise and regional cooperation to Half Moon Bay.
Before public service, Debbie built a varied career: she started as a graveyard-shift emergency room and hospital admissions manager, then worked as a daily newspaper reporter covering local government and business. After moving to the Bay Area, she worked in marketing communications at Hewlett-Packard, then in IPO, product and financial communications in Silicon Valley. Prior to retiring at the end of 2021, she spent more than 20 years as a project planner and legislative analyst for the California State Coastal Conservancy. Read the full account on the Public Service page.
Beyond elected office, Debbie is a youth mentor for the Half Moon Bay chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a member of its Walking Group, a member of the Coastside Women's Club, and a certified member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
