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City of Calexico · Statewide General Election

Calexico City Council

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 would hold one of two seats up this cycle on Calexico's 5-member City Council, elected entirely at-large (no districts) to overlapping 4-year terms. The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem aren't elected directly -- the Council rotates those titles annually among its own five members. Calexico (2020 population 38,633, incorporated April 16, 1908) sits directly on the U.S.-Mexico border in Imperial County and runs under a council-manager government.

Incumbent Diana Nuricumbo faces six challengers for two at-large seats on Calexico's City Council: Blanca Morales, Joong Kim, Camilo Garcia, Carlos "Yogi" Fonseca, Alexis Rangel, and John "Tony" Canaris.

Calexico sits directly on the U.S.-Mexico border in Imperial County, with a 2020 Census population of 38,633. It runs under a council-manager government: five City Council Members, elected entirely at-large (no districts) to overlapping four-year terms. The Council doesn't elect its Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem directly -- members rotate those titles annually among themselves -- so the Mayor's race isn't separately on this ballot even though a sitting Council Member holds the title this year.

Voters may vote for up to two of the seven candidates; the two highest vote-getters win the two seats outright, with no runoff. Nuricumbo is the only sitting Council Member in the field, so this is a mix of an incumbent-vs-challengers contest and an open-seat race for whichever seat she doesn't win. Border traffic and downtown circulation, deferred street and sidewalk maintenance, a proposed moratorium on large data centers, and downtown cleanliness/homelessness visibility all came up repeatedly across the candidates' own campaign statements this cycle.

Diana Nuricumbo

Diana Nuricumbo is the sitting incumbent, first elected to the Council in a December 2024 special election; city reporting describes her as a former armed-services member. Her signature initiative is a Border Circulation Plan to route border-crossing traffic off Second Street and away from Imperial Avenue, which she argues currently burdens downtown businesses and outlet access. She also points to a state grant she secured for a river project after arguing to the state water board that Calexico had a greater economic need than a comparable San Diego project, and says the city needs better internal staffing efficiency: "Some departments have more staffing than they should, some have less."

Strengths

The only sitting Council Member in the race, with a concrete signature project (the Border Circulation Plan) and a cited state-funding win already delivered.

Trade-offs

As the incumbent, she owns the current council's recent turbulence -- two members recalled in 2024, and open dissent over the Mayor Pro Tem rotation as recently as December 2025.

Keep in mind

She urges "a more open mentality about the bigger scope of things instead of just small little groups" among fellow candidates -- a call for consensus-building rather than a specific new policy promise.

Blanca Morales

Blanca Morales, a businesswoman and entrepreneur, brings a background in healthcare and business to her run. Her central issue is downtown revitalization: she points to deferred street and sidewalk repair as "a huge liability with the city" that hasn't "been worked on consistently," and wants the city working more closely with downtown merchants, including conversations at the federal level tied to the border crossing.

Strengths

A dual healthcare-and-business background and a specific, concrete issue -- street and sidewalk deferred maintenance -- that she names as a liability, not just a talking point.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed city office found in reporting this pass; no signature initiative yet comparable to Nuricumbo's circulation plan.

Keep in mind

Her focus on "having those conversations at the federal level" about the border and downtown business ties her platform directly to Calexico's identity as a border city, not just a generic infrastructure pitch.

Joong Kim

Joong Kim, a local business owner, is a former Calexico mayor and a former Calexico Unified School District board member. Earlier in 2026 he ran for Imperial County Board of Supervisors, District 1, but didn't advance past the June primary; he then filed for this Council seat instead. He opposes large data centers locating in the area -- "We're gonna have somebody come into our town and use our resources. We need to protect small businesses" -- and argues the county has shortchanged Calexico on resources: "The county is not spending money enough to support us ... In the north side. Not here."

Strengths

The deepest public-service record in the field -- a former Mayor and school board member -- plus a clear, quoted stance against large data centers.

Trade-offs

He sought a different office (County Supervisor) earlier this same cycle and didn't advance, then pivoted to this race; voters may read that either as persistence or as a fallback bid.

Keep in mind

His quotes on data centers and county funding came from coverage of his supervisorial run, not a dedicated 2026 Council profile -- his positions specific to the Council seat itself are less documented than his county-level platform.

Camilo Garcia

Camilo Garcia is a program and compliance manager with the Imperial County Workforce and Economic Development Office. He ran for Council once before, in November 2018, without winning, then served on the city's Economic Development and Financial Advisory Commission before the Council voted unanimously to appoint him to a vacant seat in June 2020, replacing Mayor Pro Tem David Romero, who had resigned after pleading guilty in a cannabis-permit bribery case. After the April 2024 recall of two other Council Members, the Council voted unanimously to elect Garcia Mayor; he said at the time, "We do this for the love of Calexico and the benefit of Calexico."

Strengths

Real prior council and mayoral service -- chosen by fellow Council Members twice, once for a vacant seat, once for Mayor during real turbulence -- plus a workforce-development day job.

Trade-offs

Not the sitting incumbent -- his prior council service ended before the 2026 seats were last decided, so voters are asked to return him after time away.

Keep in mind

Both of his prior rises to office came via Council votes, not direct election by voters -- 2026 is his chance to test that record directly at the ballot box for the first time since his 2018 loss.

Carlos "Yogi" Fonseca

Carlos "Yogi" Fonseca is a business owner and co-founder of Clean Calexico, a group that organizes weekly volunteer cleanup events around the city. His campaign centers on downtown cleanliness and the visibility of homelessness on Main Street, which he argues affects both tourists and local businesses: "We need to have a clean city. How are people, how are family members going to bring their kids to an area that's polluted with fecal matter and with ... rampant drug usage, open drug usage."

Strengths

A hands-on civic record through Clean Calexico's weekly cleanups, and a specific, visible issue -- downtown cleanliness and homelessness -- he already organizes around.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed government experience found in reporting this pass; his platform is centered tightly on cleanliness and homelessness visibility rather than a broader municipal agenda.

Keep in mind

His direct quote on "open drug usage" downtown is his own characterization of conditions, not an independently verified city statistic.

Alexis Rangel

Alexis Rangel, whose ballot designation is "Mother," is a former member of the Calexico Police Advisory Traffic and Code Enforcement Commission. She's running on downtown public safety, including more police presence to deter crime, and a city-run recreation gym she frames as a potential revenue source for the Recreation Department. On the city's proposed data-center moratorium, she took a measured position: "I don't want a data center in my backyard. I completely sympathize with people who don't want [them nearby] ... I want to get the facts before I give a statement on that."

Strengths

Direct prior experience on a city advisory commission covering police, traffic, and code enforcement -- relevant background for her public-safety-focused platform.

Trade-offs

No prior elected office; her data-center position is deliberately unsettled ("I want to get the facts"), which is a candid answer but not yet a firm policy stance voters can hold her to.

Keep in mind

Her proposed city-run recreation gym is framed as a revenue idea, not just a service expansion -- a specific, checkable claim once in office.

John "Tony" Canaris

John "Tony" Canaris, whose ballot designation is "Water Treatment Operator," is a Calexico native and first-time candidate. His platform centers on pollution and water quality, and on the upkeep of Cordova Park specifically. He proposes reallocating part of the city's roughly $44 million general fund toward park maintenance: "Adjust the budget here ... to adjust it. And, get efficiency from the workers."

Strengths

Professional water-treatment expertise that maps directly onto his stated priority of water quality, plus lifelong roots in Calexico.

Trade-offs

A first-time candidate with no prior elected or appointed experience; his budget-reallocation proposal is stated in general terms, not a specific dollar figure.

Keep in mind

He named Cordova Park by name as a condition that motivated his run -- a specific, visitable claim voters can check for themselves.

Source review: Strong (87/100) · 16 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context.

  • calexico.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Calexico -- its own "2026 General Municipal Election" page (City Clerk's Office): "City Council: 2 seats (full four-year terms)"; nomination period July 13-Aug. 7, 2026, extended to Aug. 12 for non-incumbents since an incumbent did not refile by the first deadline; quotes the boilerplate Elections Code SS10229 unopposed-appointment clause but states no resolution invoking it, and describes no council districts.
  • calexico.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Calexico -- its own "Election Candidate Status" page (City Clerk's Office, live fetch): the certified, signature-verified roster for the two Council seats -- Blanca Morales, Camilo Garcia, Joong S. Kim, Carlos A. Fonseca, Diana Nuricumbo, Alexis Rangel, and John Anthony Canaris, each with filed/qualified dates -- plus Fabian Martinez, marked "Not Qualified."
  • calexico.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Calexico -- its own "Mayor and City Council" page: "City Council/City Manager form of government"; "five Council Members" "elected to overlapping four-year term[s]"; the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem "rotate annually" among sitting Council Members rather than being directly elected; names the current roster (Mayor Victor Legaspi, Mayor Pro Tem Lorenzo Calderon, and Council Members Adriana Marquez, Lisa Tylenda, and Diana Nuricumbo).
  • elections.imperialcounty.org (opens in a new tab)Imperial County Registrar of Voters -- official "Notice of California Statewide General Election" (dated July 13, 2026, signed by Registrar Linsey J. Dale): lists "City of Calexico ... 2 Council Seats ... 4 Year Term" among the offices consolidating with the Nov. 3, 2026 general election, with no district breakout (unlike the same notice's school- and healthcare-district lines, which are broken out by Area/District).
  • elections.imperialcounty.org (opens in a new tab)Imperial County Registrar of Voters -- official "Candidate Status" document for the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election, "Updated as of 08/20/2026": lists "City of Calexico Council - Elect 2" with the identical seven qualified candidates and their ballot designations found on the City's own roster (Diana Nuricumbo, Incumbent; Blanca Morales, Businesswoman/Entrepreneur; Alexis Rangel, Mother; Joong Kim, Businessman; Camilo Garcia, Program Compliance Manager; Carlos "Yogi" Fonseca, Businessman/Entrepreneur; John "Tony" Canaris, Water Treatment Operator) -- an exact independent cross-check.
  • calexico.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Calexico -- its own "FPPC Filings" page: carries only Form 700 Statements of Economic Interest for sitting officials (including one from Council Member Diana Nuricumbo, filed 3/31/2026), no linked NetFile or other campaign-finance portal, and no Form 460/497 campaign committee filings for any of the seven 2026 Council candidates -- a negative result for candidate committee filings, not a claim about anyone's actual finances.
  • cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)A negative-result access check: California's statewide Cal-Access campaign-finance filer/candidate search was queried directly for the seven Calexico Council candidates and returned no usable server-rendered content on direct fetch, consistent with the access-blocking documented dataset-wide for this portal.
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 (El Centro/Yuma) -- "Alexis Rangel runs for Calexico City Council": a former member of the Calexico Police Advisory Traffic and Code Enforcement Commission; platform on downtown public safety and a city-run recreation center; on the proposed data-center moratorium: "I don't want a data center in my backyard ... but I want to get the facts before I give a statement on that."
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 -- "Blanca Morales runs for Calexico City Council": a background in healthcare and business; platform on deferred street/sidewalk maintenance ("a huge liability with the city") and downtown merchant/business-improvement support.
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 -- "Carlos 'Yogi' Fonseca runs for Calexico City Council": co-founder of Clean Calexico, a weekly volunteer cleanup group; platform on downtown cleanliness and homelessness visibility on Main Street, with a direct quote on wanting a city "clean" enough to bring family without encountering "rampant drug usage."
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 -- "Diana Nuricumbo seeks reelection for Calexico City Council": the sitting incumbent, elected in a Dec. 2024 special election; her Border Circulation Plan to route border traffic off Second Street; a state grant she secured for a river project by arguing Calexico's need before the state water board; a direct quote on internal city staffing efficiency.
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 -- "John Canaris runs for Calexico City Council": a Calexico native, first-time candidate, and water-treatment operator by trade; platform on pollution/water quality and Cordova Park's upkeep; a direct quote proposing to reallocate part of the city's $44 million general fund toward park maintenance and worker efficiency.
  • calexicochronicle.com (opens in a new tab)Calexico Chronicle -- Richard Montenegro Brown, "UPDATE: Council Selects Camilo Garcia to Replace Romero; Hires Firm to Police Past, Future Pot Permits" (June 18, 2020): the Council voted unanimously to appoint Camilo Garcia to the seat vacated by Mayor Pro Tem David Romero, who resigned June 8, 2020 after pleading guilty to taking bribes in a cannabis-permit corruption case; identifies Garcia as "a program and compliance manager with the Imperial County Workforce and Economic Development Office" who previously ran for Council in Nov. 2018 and served on the city's Economic Development and Financial Advisory Commission.
  • calexicochronicle.com (opens in a new tab)Calexico Chronicle -- Richard Montenegro Brown, "Calexico Council Coup Removes Romo, Installs Garcia As Mayor" (May 17, 2024): after the April 2024 recall of two other Council Members, the Council voted unanimously to remove Mayor Gloria Romo and elect Camilo Garcia Mayor in her place; Garcia, quoted directly: "We do this for the love of Calexico and the benefit of Calexico."
  • kyma.com (opens in a new tab)KYMA-11 -- Lynette Niebla, "Meet your candidate: Joong Kim runs for Imperial County Board of Supervisors District 1" (May 29, 2026): identifies Kim as "a local business owner and former Calexico mayor" and a "former school board member," quoting him directly opposing large data centers ("We're gonna have somebody come into our town and use our resources. We need to protect small businesses") and on county spending priorities ("The county is not spending money enough to support us ... In the north side. Not here"); Kim did not advance past the June 2 primary for that county seat and instead refiled for this Calexico Council race.
  • en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia, "Calexico, California": used narrowly for the fixed, dated 2020 Census population figure (38,633) and the April 16, 1908 incorporation date; does not cover the 2026 election.

Last updated September 2, 2026.