- 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 Keith Blackburn (official biography): current term 2022-2026; prior City Council member 2008-2020 with five terms as Mayor Pro Tem; a 29-year sworn police officer (21 with Carlsbad PD) and Managing Partner of a real-estate partnership
- thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group -- "Election 2026: Carlsbad City Council" (Cameron Adams): an earlier, pre-deadline preview naming candidate backgrounds and platform quotes in their own words for Blackburn, Nixon, Burkholder, Kerwin, Bhat-Patel, Freisinger, and Peacox; its early field (three Mayor candidates including one going by "Skar," and Jennifer Kerwin for District 1) was superseded by the certified post-deadline roster, used here only for the candidates who also appear on that later list
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS -- filer search: an ACTIVE "Blackburn for Mayor 2026" committee; no committee found under Eric Nixon, Bill Arsenault, or Stephen Banister
Last updated September 7, 2026.
City of Carlsbad
Mayor of Carlsbad
This person presides over City Council meetings and represents Carlsbad publicly. They vote as one of five members on the budget and city laws. An appointed city manager runs daily government. Carlsbad's mayor is the only council member elected citywide. The other members are elected by district. The term is four years.
Four candidates are running for Carlsbad Mayor. Incumbent Keith Blackburn faces three challengers, Eric Nixon, Bill Arsenault, and Stephen Banister. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins, with no runoff.
Carlsbad's mayor presides over City Council meetings and represents the city publicly, but votes as one of five members on the budget and city ordinances -- the same as any other councilmember. Day-to-day city government runs through an appointed city manager, not the mayor's office. It's 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: Blackburn is campaigning on 18 years of prior council service plus a first mayoral term built around infrastructure projects already underway -- traffic-signal upgrades, the desalination plant, and Agua Hedionda Lagoon stewardship. All three challengers are first-time candidates for citywide office; Nixon has articulated the most detailed platform of the three, built around public safety and community partnerships. Arsenault and Banister have not published a detailed platform reachable in this pass -- their campaigns are represented here mainly by their stated occupations.
Keith Blackburn
Keith Blackburn is the incumbent Mayor, first elected to the City Council in 2008. He wants to continue Village revitalization, preserve open space, and keep city finances strong. He was a police officer for 29 years, 21 of them with Carlsbad police.
Eric Nixon
Eric Nixon is an emergency medical technician and public-safety educator. He wants to focus on quality of life, public safety, and smart growth. He has about 15 years of experience in public health and safety campaigns.
Bill Arsenault
Bill Arsenault is a retired businessman. They are a former U.S. Marine and international business owner. No further background or platform was found for them.
Stephen Banister
Stephen Banister is an energy program supervisor. No further background or platform was found for them.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.