- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters -- Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 -- City of Aliso Viejo section (pages 71-73 of 188): confirms City Council District 2 (2 qualified candidates) and District 3, Short Term (2 qualified candidates) as the city's two November 2026 races, each Vote for 1, plus every candidate's filed ballot designation and, for District 3, the outgoing incumbent of record (Richard Hurt)
- avcity.org (opens in a new tab)City of Aliso Viejo -- City Council page: the sitting 5-member roster (Mayor Max Duncan, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Munzing, Councilmembers Tiffany Ackley, Garrett Dwyer, and Tim Zandbergen), confirms the city moved to by-district elections starting in 2024, and confirms the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem are chosen annually by the council rather than directly elected
- avcity.org (opens in a new tab)City of Aliso Viejo -- Mayor Max Duncan's official bio: confirms he was elected at-large to the City Council in 2022 with his term expiring November 2026, plus his occupational and community-service background
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Aliso Viejo
Aliso Viejo City Council, District 2
This person holds your district's seat on Aliso Viejo's five-member City Council. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs daily operations. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city. It has no separately, citywide-elected Mayor. The council chooses a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from its members each year. The term is four years.
Sitting Mayor Max Duncan is running for a second council term. Duncan faces challenger Steven Von Der Porten. The top vote-getter on November 3 wins outright. There is no runoff.
This person holds District 2's seat on Aliso Viejo's 5-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs the city day to day. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city with no separately elected citywide Mayor. The council picks a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from its own members each year. The term is four years.
Duncan is a sitting councilmember whose term is expiring. The county's candidate document lists no incumbent for District 2. That district did not exist as a seat when they were elected at-large in 2022. The city's council roster and their own bio page confirm they hold the seat now. They are running to keep it under the new district lines. Beyond their city bio and Von Der Porten's filed job title, no other source was found. No campaign site or news coverage turned up for either candidate.
Max Duncan
Max Duncan was elected to the City Council at-large in 2022. They are currently serving as Mayor. That is a one-year role the council rotates each December. They are running for a second term under the city's new district lines. Their city bio calls them a technology industry professional. They have started multiple businesses and worked as an engineer for several tech companies. The bio also lists extensive local youth sports and civic volunteering. No campaign site or news coverage of their council term priorities was found.
Steven Von Der Porten
Steven Von Der Porten filed under the ballot title Father and Aerospace Engineer. No campaign site or news coverage was found for them. Nothing else on their background or platform turned up.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.