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Commerce City Council

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City of Commerce

Commerce City Council

This person would hold one of three at-large seats up this cycle. It is on Commerce's five-member City Council. Terms are staggered and last four years. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. The council picks one of its own members to serve as Mayor. It picks another as Mayor Pro Tem. These titles rotate rather than being separately elected. An appointed city manager runs daily operations. Councilmembers are capped at three full terms. Commerce voters adopted that limit in 2011.

Six candidates are running for three at-large seats on Commerce's City Council. They are incumbents Kevin Lainez and Mireya Garcia, and former Councilmember and Mayor Leonard Mendoza. The other challengers are Vanessa Haro, Nick Padilla, and Jaime Valencia. A third incumbent, Ivan Altamirano, was barred from the Nov. 3 ballot by a court ruling on Aug. 27, 2026. Voters may pick up to three, with no primary.

Council seats carry 4-year terms, staggered so three or two of the five seats are up each cycle -- this year it's three. Winners join two sitting councilmembers not up this cycle, Hugo Argumedo and Oralia Rebollo, to make five votes on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. The council then selects one of its own to serve as Mayor and another as Mayor Pro Tem -- titles that rotate rather than being separately elected -- and day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager. Members are capped at three full terms under a limit Commerce voters adopted in 2011 by more than 72%.

That cap is why this race has six names instead of seven. Councilmember Ivan Altamirano -- appointed in 2012 and elected in 2013, 2017 and 2022 -- filed to run again, and the city clerk initially listed him as qualified. Former Mayor Lilia Leon sued, arguing a 2022 measure that extended council terms to match the state's consolidated election calendar didn't reset the three-term limit. On Aug. 27, 2026, LA County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner agreed, calling Altamirano's contrary reading "unpersuasive," and ordered the city clerk and county registrar not to place him on the ballot. Argumedo and Rebollo aren't up for re-election until 2028, when the same limit will eventually reach them too.

Kevin Lainez

Kevin Lainez is the incumbent Mayor, seeking another four-year council term. They were first elected in June 2022 and moved to Commerce in 2012. Before joining the council, they chaired the Planning Commission. They also served as Vice Chairperson of the Traffic Commission.

Mireya Garcia

Mireya Garcia is the incumbent Mayor Pro Tem, seeking another four-year council term. Garcia was first elected in June 2022 alongside Kevin Lainez and Ivan Altamirano. The city's own council page lists no biography for them beyond their name and title.

Vanessa Haro

Vanessa Haro is a challenger running for a council seat. They work as a plant manager for Corning. The Commerce Business Council gave them a Community Service Award in June 2026. No independent source describes their platform in detail.

Leonard Mendoza

Leonard Mendoza is a former Commerce Councilmember and Mayor, running again after losing reelection in November 2024. Their time on the council included a widely reported physical fight with a fellow official. That was in 2019. They were removed from the Mayor's seat in 2022.

Nick Padilla

Nick Padilla is a challenger running for a council seat. No campaign website, published platform, or independent news coverage of their campaign was found. Their name appears in the certified candidate list. It also appears in one news report on the term limit dispute.

Jaime Valencia

Jaime Valencia is a lifelong Commerce resident. They are running on public safety, family and senior services, and government accountability. State campaign finance records show they have run for this seat before, at least four times. Those runs were in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2020, without winning.

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

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