# Camarillo City Council, District 2

Compare records and positions simply between Susan Santangelo, Dan Gober, or Sylvia C. Garcia for Camarillo City Council, District 2 at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. This person would hold one of five district seats on Camarillo's City Council. They would vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. Camarillo is a Ventura County city of about 70,000 residents. An appointed City Manager, Greg Ramirez, runs day-to-day operations. The term is four years. A voter-approved rule, 2018's Measure E, limits members to three terms in a row. Camarillo has no separately elected Mayor. Instead, the Council picks one of its own members for the title. It is ceremonial and rotates among members. Whoever wins this seat could later be picked as Mayor by colleagues. That is a separate, later decision, not one voters make directly. Camarillo has elected its Council by district, not at-large, since 2019. Districts 1, 2, and 5 are up this cycle. Districts 3 and 4 are not up this cycle. Kevin Kildee holds District 3, and Tony Trembley holds District 4. Both were last elected in 2024.

- Jurisdiction: City of Camarillo
- Election: November 3, 2026 California general election
- Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements.
- Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/camarillo-council-2
- Full ballot: this page covers one race. Every contest on a voter's own ballot, by address, with the same breakdown for each: https://voteorelse.com/
- Sources last retrieved: September 1, 2026
- Source-objectivity score: 89 out of 100 (Strong), across 8 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology

## On the ballot

- **Susan Santangelo** — City of Camarillo Councilmember/Nurse · Incumbent
- **Dan Gober** — Life Science Executive
- **Sylvia C. Garcia** — Nonprofit Director

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

Incumbent Susan Santangelo, a registered nurse first elected in 2018, faces two challengers: first-time candidate and life-science executive Dan Gober, and repeat candidate Sylvia Garcia, a nonprofit director and military veteran who placed fourth here in 2022.

This person would hold one of five district seats on Camarillo's City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Camarillo is a Ventura County city of about 70,000 residents. It has a council-manager form of government. An appointed City Manager runs day-to-day operations. Greg Ramirez holds that job as of this cycle. The term is four years. Measure E, passed by voters in 2018, caps it at three terms in a row. Camarillo has no directly elected Mayor. The Council picks one of its own members to hold the title, which is largely ceremonial. The title rotates. Santangelo herself held it in 2023.

District 2 is one of three Camarillo districts up this cycle. Districts 1 and 5 are the others. Districts 3 and 4 were last elected in 2024 and are not up. This is the only three-way race among these Camarillo contests. Santangelo won her 2022 reelection with 38% in a multi-candidate field. Garcia ran in that field too and placed fourth with 12%. If Santangelo wins, this would be her third term in a row. That is the last one Measure E allows before she must take a break in service.

## Susan Santangelo

The incumbent, a registered nurse who has worked at Vista Del Mar Hospital and LA County-USC Medical Center. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University. A Camarillo resident since 1976 and mother of two, she first won this seat in 2018 and served as Mayor in 2023. She is president of the Camarillo Library Board and chairs the Finance Committee of the Clean Power Alliance, a regional community-choice energy agency. The Acorn reports her campaign emphasizes community health, environmental initiatives, and sustainability.

**Strengths:** Two terms of Council experience including a year as Mayor, a nursing background relevant to public-health policy, and ongoing Clean Power Alliance board leadership.

**Trade-offs:** This would be her third consecutive term, the last Measure E allows before requiring a break in service -- worth knowing if seat continuity matters to you.

**Keep in mind:** Her Clean Power Alliance finance-committee role and City Council budget role both touch municipal energy and finance -- disclosed public roles, not a conflict this dataset found flagged anywhere, but relevant context for her committee assignments.

## Dan Gober

A life-science-industry executive and first-time candidate. Per the Acorn, his campaign focuses on homelessness, public safety in Old Town Camarillo, airport noise, and support for local businesses and job creation.

**Strengths:** A stated, multi-issue platform -- homelessness, Old Town public safety, airport noise, business support -- reported independently by local press.

**Trade-offs:** A first-time candidate with no prior elected record; no source found this session details his life-sciences employer beyond the "executive" designation.

**Keep in mind:** Airport noise is a live, district-relevant issue given Camarillo's proximity to Camarillo Airport -- worth weighing against Santangelo's Clean Power Alliance and sustainability focus and Garcia's platform if that issue matters most to you.

## Sylvia C. Garcia

A nonprofit director and military veteran making their second run for this seat; they placed fourth in the 2022 District 2 race with 12% of the vote.

**Strengths:** Nonprofit-sector leadership experience and military service, plus a second run at the seat suggesting sustained interest in local office.

**Trade-offs:** No independent reporting on a 2026 platform was found beyond their occupation, veteran status, and 2022 result -- their current priorities aren't established here.

**Keep in mind:** Their prior run placed fourth in a larger field; this cycle is a three-way race, a different competitive picture than 2022 that could change their odds without anything about their own campaign having changed.

## Sources

1. [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")](https://clerkrecorder.venturacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/cfmcfmr001_contcanddataproof_08-18-2026-on-ballot-alpha-order-applied.pdf)
2. [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](https://www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_clerk/elections_.php)
3. [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](https://www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_council/index.php)
4. [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](https://cms7files.revize.com/camarilloca/Departments/City%20Council/Term%20Limits%20Ord.%201159%20Measure%20E%20-%20Term%20Limits.pdf)
5. [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)](https://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/articles/seven-compete-for-city-council/)
6. [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](https://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/articles/filing-period-opening-for-city-council/)
7. [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'](https://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/articles/who-actually-runs-camarillo/)
8. [City of Camarillo -- Councilmember Susan Santangelo's official bio page: a registered nurse who worked at Vista Del Mar Hospital and LA County-USC Medical Center; holds an MSN from the University of Phoenix and a BS in Psychology from Santa Clara University; a Camarillo resident since 1976; first elected to Council in 2018 and served as Mayor in 2023; serves as president of the Camarillo Library Board and on the Clean Power Alliance board, where she chairs the Finance Committee](https://www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_council/councilmember_susan_santangelo.php)

## The rest of the ballot

Camarillo City Council, District 2 is one contest among the many a California voter decides on November 3, 2026 — Congress, the Legislature, county, city, and school board races differ by address. Vote or Else builds the full list for any California address and breaks down each contest the way this page does, with no account and without storing the address: https://voteorelse.com/

## How to cite this page

Vote or Else, "Camarillo City Council, District 2 — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/camarillo-council-2 (sources last retrieved September 1, 2026).

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