- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters — Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 (169 contests, 430 candidates filed)
- anaheim.net (opens in a new tab)City of Anaheim -- Elections page (anaheim.net/2917): confirms the Nov. 3, 2026 General Municipal Election fills the Mayor (at-large) and City Council Districts 2, 3, and 6, each a 4-year term, and names Ashleigh Aitken, Carlos A. Leon, Natalie Rubalcava, and Natalie Meeks as the incumbents in each of the four races, each "eligible for re-election"
- anaheim.net (opens in a new tab)City of Anaheim -- 2026 Candidate List: names all nine qualified candidates across the four November 2026 races, including each candidate's stated occupation (Sharief: "Doctor/Businessman"; Rodriguez: "General Manager"; Renteria-Garcia: "Nonprofit Development Director") and flags each incumbent
- ocregister.com (opens in a new tab)Orange County Register (Laylan Connelly et al.) -- "Candidate fields take shape for City Council elections in Orange County": independently confirms Anaheim's roster and contest status across all 34 OC cities that held filing -- "Incumbent Ashleigh Aitken is facing challenges from Alfredo Rodriguez and Imran Sharief for the mayoral seat and Elia Renteria-Garcia is going up against Natalie Rubalcava for the District 3 seat. Incumbents Carlos Leon and Natalie Meeks are unchallenged for districts 2 and 6"
- anaheim.net (opens in a new tab)City of Anaheim -- Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (official biography): elected Nov. 2022 and sworn in Dec. 6, 2022 as Anaheim's first female mayor; a trial lawyer at Aitken Aitken Cohn and former federal prosecutor; two terms on the Community Services Board, OC Fair board 2012-Jan. 2023, and OC Bar Association president in 2015; names public safety, affordable housing, and economic growth as her priorities
- en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- Ashleigh Aitken: sourced biography confirming her 2018 mayoral run (31.9% to Harry Sidhu's 32.5%), her 2020 run for OC Board of Supervisors (lost to Donald P. Wagner), her 2022 mayoral win (42.85%), and her career as a federal prosecutor in the Central District of California
- vote411.org (opens in a new tab)League of Women Voters -- Vote411 voter guide, 'City of Anaheim Mayor' race (statewide All Races list): each candidate's self-submitted ballot designation and campaign contacts, plus answers to the League's questions -- 'If elected, what are your top 3 priorities?', 'What background, experience and/or education qualify you for this elected office?' and 'What is your position on the use of Flock cameras or similar devices?'. Answers on file from Alfredo Rodriguez. Capture in data/nov-2026/sources/vote411/anaheim-mayor.json.
Last updated October 6, 2026.
City of Anaheim
Mayor of Anaheim
This person presides over Anaheim City Council meetings and represents the city publicly. They vote as one of seven members on the budget and city laws. The council has six district members plus the mayor. An appointed city manager runs day-to-day government. Anaheim's mayor is the only council member elected citywide. The other six are elected by district. The term is four years.
Three candidates are running for Mayor of Anaheim. Incumbent Ashleigh Aitken faces two challengers, Imran Sharief and Alfredo Rodriguez. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins. There is no runoff.
Anaheim's mayor presides over City Council meetings and represents the city publicly. But the mayor votes as one of seven members on the budget and city ordinances. Those seven are six district councilmembers plus the mayor. That vote is the same as any other councilmember's. Day-to-day city government runs through an appointed city manager, not the mayor's office. It is the only council seat elected citywide rather than by district. The term is four years.
The choice is mostly about continuity versus a fresh start. Aitken is campaigning for a second term on her record. That record includes two decades as a trial lawyer and federal prosecutor. It also includes earlier service on civic boards. She frames her first term around public safety and affordable housing. She also points to growing the visitor-industry economy. Both challengers are first-time candidates for citywide office. In their League of Women Voters' Vote411 questionnaire, Rodriguez names public safety, fiscal accountability and economic growth as their priorities. Sharief's campaign shows up here mainly through their stated occupation.
Ashleigh Aitken
Ashleigh Aitken is the incumbent, elected in November 2022. She was Anaheim's first female mayor in the city's 167-year history. She has been a trial lawyer for over two decades. She also served as a federal prosecutor. Her priorities are public safety, affordable housing, and growing Anaheim's economy.
Imran Sharief
Imran Sharief is listed as a doctor and businessman on the city's certified candidate list. They are a first-time candidate for elected office. No campaign website, platform, or news interview was found for them.
Alfredo Rodriguez
Alfredo Rodriguez is a general manager and a first-time candidate for elected office. They say they are not a career politician. Their priorities are public safety, fiscal accountability, and economic growth.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.