Skip to main content

City of Camarillo · Statewide General Election

Camarillo City Council, District 1

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 would hold one of five district seats on Camarillo's City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use for this Ventura County city of about 70,000 residents, under a council-manager form of government where an appointed City Manager (Greg Ramirez as of this cycle) runs day-to-day operations. A 4-year term, subject to a voter-approved three-consecutive-term limit (2018's Measure E). Camarillo has no separately, directly elected Mayor -- the Council selects one of its own members to hold the largely ceremonial title on a rotating basis; whoever wins this seat could later be selected Mayor by colleagues, but that is a separate, later decision, not something voters choose directly on this ballot. Camarillo elects its Council by district, not at-large -- a change that took effect in 2019. Districts 1, 2, and 5 are up this cycle; Districts 3 (Kevin Kildee) and 4 (Tony Trembley), both last elected in 2024, are not.

Mayor David Tennessen, a retired Ventura County Sheriff's Office chief deputy first elected to the Council in 2022, faces a rematch against pharmacist Vishnu Patel, who took 27.5% against him in 2022.

This person would hold one of five district seats on Camarillo's City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use for this Ventura County city of about 70,000 residents, under a council-manager form of government where an appointed City Manager -- Greg Ramirez as of this cycle -- runs day-to-day operations. A 4-year term, capped at three consecutive terms by 2018's voter-approved Measure E. Camarillo has no separately, directly elected Mayor: the Council selects one of its own members to hold the largely ceremonial title on a rotating basis. Tennessen currently holds that title, appointed by his colleagues in December 2025 -- but that's a separate, later decision the Council makes among itself, not something voters choose directly on this ballot.

District 1 is one of three Camarillo districts up this cycle (with Districts 2 and 5); Districts 3 and 4, last elected in 2024, are not. This is a rematch of 2022, when Tennessen won with 52.5% of the vote to Patel's 27.5% -- the remaining roughly 20% went to at least one other 2022 candidate not on this year's ballot.

David Tennessen

The incumbent and current Mayor (a title his Council colleagues appointed him to in December 2025). A U.S. Marine Corps veteran (1974-1978) and a Ventura County Sheriff's Office veteran of over 30 years, retiring as Chief Deputy in 2011; he holds a Master's in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge. A Camarillo resident since 1979, he serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo (past chair) and the Camarillo Family YMCA, and is active with the Sunrise Rotary Club and Lions Club. The Acorn reports his campaign emphasizes public safety and fiscal restraint.

Strengths

Decades of Ventura County law-enforcement leadership relevant to public safety, a public-administration graduate degree, and deep community roots through years of nonprofit board work.

Trade-offs

As current Mayor, his record this term is this shard's most directly reviewable -- but no independent, non-campaign reporting evaluating his specific votes was found this session.

Keep in mind

The Mayor's title he currently holds is a rotating, colleague-selected role, not evidence of a citywide electoral mandate beyond his District 1 seat -- worth separating from his District 1 vote total if you're weighing incumbency.

Vishnu K. Patel

A pharmacist (his ballot designation reads "Registered Pharmacist") who serves on the Camarillo Ranch Foundation board. This is his second run against Tennessen for the District 1 seat; he took 27.5% of the vote in 2022.

Strengths

A second, repeat campaign for this seat, plus existing local civic involvement through the Camarillo Ranch Foundation board he serves on.

Trade-offs

No independent reporting on a 2026 platform was found beyond his occupation, board service, and 2022 result -- his current priorities for the seat aren't established here.

Keep in mind

His 2022 showing (27.5%, a distant second) is real information about that race, but a single prior result four years ago is a limited predictor on its own -- check for any newer campaign materials directly if you want his current platform.

Source review: Strong (89/100) · 8 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • clerkrecorder.venturacounty.gov (opens in a new tab)Ventura County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters -- "Contest/Candidate Proof List" (report CFMR001, dated Aug. 18, 2026, on-ballot contests only): confirms Camarillo's three November 2026 city contests -- City Council Districts 1, 2, and 5 -- and names each district's incumbent and full qualified candidate roster: District 1 (incumbent David M. Tennessen; challenger Vishnu K. Patel, "Registered Pharmacist"), District 2 (incumbent Susan Marie Santangelo, "City of Camarillo Councilmember/Nurse"; challengers Dan Gober, "Life Science Executive," and Sylvia C. Garcia, "Nonprofit Director"), and District 5 (incumbent Martha "Martita" Martinez-Bravo; challenger David P. Schlangen, "Director, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District")
  • cityofcamarillo.org (opens in a new tab)City of Camarillo -- City Clerk 'Elections' page: confirms City Council Districts 1, 2, and 5 are the three seats on the Nov. 3, 2026 municipal ballot, candidate eligibility requirements, the nomination-period timeline, and links to the city's district-lookup GIS tool and its campaign-disclosure portal
  • cityofcamarillo.org (opens in a new tab)City of Camarillo -- 'City Council' department page: confirms the five-member, five-district council-manager structure; states 'The Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor'; lists the current roster by district and that members serve 'four-year terms subject to Term Limits'; links to each councilmember's individual bio page and to the Term Limits ordinance PDF
  • cms7files.revize.com (opens in a new tab)City of Camarillo -- Measure E / Ordinance No. 1159, 'Term Limits' (Camarillo Municipal Code Section 2.08.050): caps City Council service at three consecutive terms (by election or appointment), applying only to terms of office commencing on or after Nov. 6, 2018; passed by voters at the Nov. 6, 2018 General Municipal Election
  • thecamarilloacorn.com (opens in a new tab)The Camarillo Acorn -- 'Seven compete for city council' (Aug. 22, 2026): confirms all three incumbents (Tennessen, Santangelo, Martinez-Bravo) face opposition; gives District 1's 2022 result (Tennessen 2,727 votes/52.5%, Patel 1,425/27.5%) and Patel's occupation (pharmacy manager) and Camarillo Ranch Foundation board service; gives District 2's 2022 result for Santangelo (1,457/38%) and Garcia (458/12%, fourth place), and Gober's platform (homelessness, Old Town public safety, airport noise, business support, job creation) as a first-time candidate; gives District 5's 2022 result for Martinez-Bravo (won by 21 votes, 1,742/30.7%) and Schlangen's background (ran citywide for Council in 2006; sought a Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District board seat; listed as a park-district director in his 2026 filing)
  • thecamarilloacorn.com (opens in a new tab)The Camarillo Acorn -- 'Filing period opening for City Council' (Jul. 11, 2026): confirms three of five Council seats (Districts 1, 2, and 5) are up this cycle; the filing period runs Jul. 13 - Aug. 7 (extended to Aug. 12 if an incumbent doesn't file); candidates need 20-30 signatures from registered district voters; describes each incumbent's early platform emphasis -- Tennessen on public safety and fiscal restraint, Santangelo on community health, environmental initiatives, and sustainability, and Martinez-Bravo on labor advocacy and social equity
  • thecamarilloacorn.com (opens in a new tab)The Camarillo Acorn -- 'Who actually runs Camarillo?' (Jul. 18, 2026), an opinion piece: states Camarillo operates under 'a council-manager form of government' meant to 'separate politics from administration'; the Council sets policy, approves budgets, and hires/fires the City Manager but is not the city's chief executive; City Manager Greg Ramirez 'manages the departments, executes the policies and oversees the day-to-day operations'; the mayoralty is 'simply a rotating position among the elected council members,' chosen by rotation rather than direct election, making it 'essentially a ceremonial role'
  • cityofcamarillo.org (opens in a new tab)City of Camarillo -- Mayor David Tennessen's official bio page: a U.S. Marine Corps veteran (1974-1978) and Ventura County Sheriff's Office veteran of over 30 years, retiring as Chief Deputy in 2011; holds a Master's in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge; first elected to Council in 2022 and appointed Mayor in December 2025; a Camarillo resident since 1979; serves on boards including the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo (past chair) and the Camarillo Family YMCA

Last updated September 1, 2026.