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City of Aliso Viejo · Statewide General Election

Aliso Viejo City Council, District 2

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds your district's seat on Aliso Viejo's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city with no separately, citywide-elected Mayor -- the council chooses a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among its own members each year. A 4-year term.

Sitting Mayor Max Duncan is running for a second council term against challenger Steven Von Der Porten. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright; there's no runoff.

This person holds District 2's seat on Aliso Viejo's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city with no separately, citywide-elected Mayor -- the council chooses a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among its own members each year. A 4-year term.

Duncan is a sitting councilmember whose term is expiring -- the county's own candidate document lists no incumbent specifically for District 2 because that district didn't exist as a seat when he was elected at-large in 2022; the city's own council roster and his own bio page confirm he's the officeholder now running to keep his seat under the new district lines. Beyond his city bio and Von Der Porten's own filed occupation, no campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source could be found for either candidate despite a real search effort -- documented below as a gap, not filled in with speculation.

Max Duncan

Elected to the City Council at-large in 2022 and currently serving as Mayor (a one-year role the council rotates among its own members each December), Duncan is running for a second term under the city's new district lines. His own city bio describes him as a technology-industry professional with a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems, who has started multiple businesses and worked as an engineer for several tech companies, and lists extensive local youth-sports and civic volunteering -- leadership with YMCA Adventure Guides, Aliso Viejo Little League, Aliso Viejo Girls Softball, and AYSO. He and his wife have two children and live in Aliso Viejo. No campaign site or additional news coverage describing his specific council-term priorities was found in this pass beyond what's on the city's own site.

Strengths

One term of council experience plus a year serving as Mayor, giving him direct, current familiarity with the city's budget and operations.

Trade-offs

No campaign statement or platform beyond his city bio was found in this pass, so voters have no confirmed sense of what he'd specifically prioritize in a second term.

Keep in mind

No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for his campaign in this pass -- see Financial info.

Steven Von Der Porten

Filed his candidacy under the ballot designation "Father/Aerospace Engineer." No campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source describing his background or platform could be found in this pass despite a real search effort.

Strengths

An aerospace-engineering background suggests technical, process-oriented experience; running as a parent gives him a direct stake in local schools and family services.

Trade-offs

No campaign statement or platform was found in this pass beyond his listed occupation, and no prior public service was found for him.

Keep in mind

No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for his campaign in this pass -- see Financial info.

Source review: Very strong (90/100) · 3 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • 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.