sdvote.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego County Registrar of Voters -- Candidate List, November 3, 2026 General Election (current through the 8/24/2026 2:44pm snapshot): confirms Mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 3, City Clerk, and City Treasurer as Carlsbad's five November 2026 races, and Mayor plus City Council Districts 1 and 3 as Poway's three November 2026 races, each Vote for 1
carlsbadca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Carlsbad -- City Council page: an elected mayorplus four district-elected council members, each a 4-year term; names Mayor Keith Blackburn, Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel (District 3), and Council Member Melanie Burkholder (District 1); confirms the Mayor is elected citywide and Council members by district, and that the City Clerk and City Treasurer are also separately elected
carlsbadca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Carlsbad -- Clerk Services / Election Information page: names City Clerk Sherry Freisinger and states the City Clerk serves an elected 4-year term
thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group -- "Election 2026: A guide to North County races" (Carlsbad City Council section): names all nine qualified candidates across Mayor, Districts 1 and 3, Treasurer, and confirms City Clerk Sherry Freisinger is running unopposed, current as of the Aug. 7, 2026 filing deadline
sandiegouniontribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Union-Tribune (Phil Diehl) -- "Carlsbad's mayor, 2 council seats, treasurer and clerk on the ballot in November": independently confirms five incumbents on the ballot against a small field of challengers and reports Blackburn's re-election campaign raised $42,673; the full article is paywalled beyond its opening paragraphs as retrieved
carlsbadca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Carlsbad -- Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel (official biography): serving her second council term; a public-health professional (DrPH, Loma Linda University; MPH, USC; BS, UC San Diego) who chairs the North County Transit District board and grew up in Carlsbad
records.carlsbadca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Carlsbad -- "Declaring the Results of the Nov. 8, 2022, Municipal Election" (official City Council record): Melanie Burkholder elected City Council Member District No. 1 for a four-year term; Priya Bhat-Patel elected City Council Member District No. 3 for a four-year term
cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS -- filer search: an ACTIVE "Bhat-Patel for City Council 2026; Re-Elect Priya" committee; no committee found under Wayland Lim's name

Last updated September 7, 2026.

City of Carlsbad

Carlsbad City Council, District 3

This person holds your district's seat on Carlsbad's 4-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the citywide-elected mayor. The term is four years.

Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel faces challenger Wayland T. Lim. This is for Carlsbad City Council District 3. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins, with no runoff.

This person holds District 3's seat on Carlsbad's 4-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected mayor. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions. The term is four years.

Bhat-Patel is campaigning for a third term on her record: two terms including service as Mayor Pro Tem, regional leadership roles, and a public-health career she says informs her approach to housing and safety policy. Lim, a first-time candidate, brings a business-consulting background spanning both for-profit and nonprofit work -- a different professional lens than Bhat-Patel's public-health career, though no detailed platform from Lim was reachable in this pass.

Priya Bhat-Patel

Priya Bhat-Patel is the incumbent Mayor Pro Tem, first elected in November 2018. Her priorities are safety, housing, economic development, and sustainability. She was reelected on Nov. 8, 2022, and is now serving her second term.

Wayland T. Lim

Wayland T. Lim is a retired business consultant. They have experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. They are a first-time candidate for elected office.

Your pick

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

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