Review note: San Diego County Democratic Party -- Democratic Candidates in the 2026 General Election: Imperial Beach Mayor, Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez; City Council District 1, Jose Lopez Eguino; City Council District 3, O'mar Diallo may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- sdvote.com (opens in a new tab)County of San Diego Registrar of Voters — Candidate List, November 3, 2026 General Election
- chulavistaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Chula Vista, City Clerk — Elections (November 3, 2026 General Election candidates: Mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 2, City Attorney)
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State — CAL-ACCESS committee search (Chula Vista Mayor, Council Districts 1/2, and City Attorney candidates, 2026)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — Mayoral election in Chula Vista, California (2026)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — John McCann (California)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — Francisco Tamayo
- voiceofsandiego.org (opens in a new tab)Voice of San Diego — Chula Vista's Mayor Is Suddenly Fighting on All Fronts to Keep His Job (2026-05-14)
- sddemocrats.org (opens in a new tab)San Diego County Democratic Party — Democratic Candidates in the 2026 General Election
- netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of Chula Vista NetFile — public campaign-disclosure search
- vote411.org (opens in a new tab)League of Women Voters -- Vote411 voter guide, 'City of Chula Vista Mayor' race (statewide All Races list): each candidate's self-submitted ballot designation and campaign contacts, plus answers to the League's questions -- If elected, what are your top three priorities?; What background, experience and/or education qualify you for this elected office?; What actions, if any, would you take to address the threats facing the City due to climate change, including actions to reduce the effects of climate change on public health?; Give at least one other example of how you would use your time in this office to position the City to meet a long-term challenge, while still responding to immediate crises.? Answers on file from Francisco Tamayo. Capture in data/nov-2026/sources/vote411/chula-vista-mayor.json.
Last updated October 7, 2026.
City of Chula Vista
Mayor of Chula Vista
Chula Vista's Mayor is directly elected by voters. The Mayor leads City Council meetings. The Mayor also casts one of five votes on the city budget and laws. An appointed city manager runs day-to-day operations. The term is four years, with a limit of two terms in a row. A mayor who reaches that limit can run again after a four-year break.
Incumbent Mayor John McCann faces Francisco Tamayo. Tamayo is a trustee of the Chula Vista Elementary School District. McCann led June's three-way primary with 56.1% of the vote. Tamayo took 39.5% and Yair Gersten took 4.4%. Chula Vista's charter still sends the top two to a November runoff. That holds even when the leader wins a majority.
Chula Vista's mayor is a full-time job, elected by the whole city. The mayor casts one of five council votes on the budget and city ordinances. Every other council member is elected by a district instead. The mayor also presides over meetings and represents Chula Vista in public. The term is four years, with a limit of two terms in a row. McCann was first elected in 2022. He is seeking his second and final consecutive term under that limit.
McCann is a Republican and a member of the San Diego County GOP central committee. Tamayo, the challenger, is vice president of the Chula Vista Democratic Club. McCann also ran for San Diego County Supervisor, District 1 in a 2025 special election. He led that April primary, then lost the July runoff to Paloma Aguirre. That defeat returned him to a race for mayor instead of a seat on the county board.
John McCann
John McCann is the incumbent Mayor, first elected in 2022 after beating Ammar Campa-Najjar. He served two earlier terms on the City Council for District 1. His campaign credits the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center with about 4,000 jobs.
Francisco Tamayo
Francisco Tamayo is a Chula Vista Elementary School District trustee. He has served on that school board since 2014. His campaign centers on housing affordability and public-safety response times. He also wants to lower the cost of living for families.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.