Review note: Mike Buley's own campaign site ("Mike Buley For Mayor"): his own framing of his District 1 council record and mayoral platform (business support, public safety, community investment), Loren Gameros's own campaign site ("Loren for Mayor"): his own framing of his District 2 council record and mayoral platform (public safety, youth & family, infrastructure, fiscal responsibility), and Costa Mesa First (FPPC #1332564, a registered PAC operating savecostamesa.com) -- Candidates for Mayor page: ages, prior council-vote positions (Flock cameras, Fairview Park Master Plan), and neighborhood-engagement critique for Buley and Gameros; the group describes itself as openly opinionated about candidates, cited here only for independently-checkable factual detail beyond each campaign's own site may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters — Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 (169 contests, 430 candidates filed)
- costamesaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Costa Mesa — Mayor & City Council page: term limits (Mayor, 2-year terms, 2-term cap; Council, 4-year terms, 2-term cap) and the sitting roster (Mayor John Stephens; Council Members Mike Buley D1, Loren Gameros D2, Andrea Marr D3, Manuel Chavez D4/Mayor Pro Tem, Arlis Reynolds D5, Jeff Pettis D6)
- latimes.com (opens in a new tab)LA Times/Daily Pilot — "Costa Mesa Council race will see 8 candidates square off for 4 open seats, including mayor": confirms 4 council members terming out in December and 8 total candidates across the 4 open seats, all already serving in city civic roles; retrieved as search-engine snippets, latimes.com itself is not directly fetchable in this pass
- cityofcostamesanews.com (opens in a new tab)City of Costa Mesa News (the city's own municipal news site) — "Costa Mesa voters re-elect Stephens and Gameros and add new council members Buley and Pettis": recap of the Nov. 2024 election, sworn in Dec. 5, 2024 -- Stephens's second 2-year mayoral term, Gameros re-elected unopposed to D2, Buley newly elected D1, Pettis newly elected D6, Manuel Chavez chosen Mayor Pro Tem
- ocregister.com (opens in a new tab)Orange County Register — "Candidate fields take shape for city council elections in Orange County": names Mike Buley and Loren Gameros for Costa Mesa Mayor and Cara Stewart and Daniel Morgan for the open District 3 seat; retrieved as a search-engine snippet, ocregister.com itself is not directly fetchable in this pass
- buley4costamesa.com (opens in a new tab)Mike Buley's own campaign site ("Mike Buley For Mayor"): his own framing of his District 1 council record and mayoral platform (business support, public safety, community investment)
- loren4mayor.com (opens in a new tab)Loren Gameros's own campaign site ("Loren for Mayor"): his own framing of his District 2 council record and mayoral platform (public safety, youth & family, infrastructure, fiscal responsibility)
- savecostamesa.com (opens in a new tab)Costa Mesa First (FPPC #1332564, a registered PAC operating savecostamesa.com) — Candidates for Mayor page: ages, prior council-vote positions (Flock cameras, Fairview Park Master Plan), and endorsements for Buley and Gameros; the group describes itself as openly opinionated about candidates, cited here only for independently-checkable factual detail beyond each campaign's own site
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Costa Mesa
Mayor of Costa Mesa
This person presides over City Council meetings and represents Costa Mesa publicly. The Mayor also votes as one of seven council members. The other six members represent districts, but the Mayor is elected citywide. The council votes on the budget and city laws. The term is two years, with a limit of two terms in a row.
Two sitting councilmembers are running for Costa Mesa's open Mayor's seat. They are Mike Buley of District 1 and Loren Gameros of District 2. Mayor John Stephens is term limited. He cannot run again. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins. There is no runoff.
Costa Mesa's mayor runs City Council meetings and speaks for the city in public. But the mayor is one of seven votes on the budget and city ordinances. The other six are district councilmembers. Day-to-day city government runs through an appointed city manager. This is the only council seat elected citywide rather than by district. The term is two years. It is capped at two straight terms.
Neither candidate is defending this seat. So the race turns on each man's record in his own district. It also turns on how he would apply that record citywide. Buley is an attorney elected to District 1 in 2024. He campaigns on business permitting, public safety staffing, and fiscal restraint. Gameros was elected to District 2 in 2020 and reelected unopposed in 2024. He campaigns on a 'boots on the ground' record. He says it includes opening the city's permanent Bridge Shelter for homelessness services. He also cites wider public access to Luke Davis Field. Costa Mesa First is a local growth-policy PAC. It notes that Gameros backed those council actions. It also flags that critics see his visible work for residents as focused in his own Halecrest neighborhood. That is a characterization from an advocacy group, not a judgment made here.
Mike Buley
Mike Buley is a civil trial attorney and law firm owner. Voters elected him to City Council District 1 in November 2024. His campaign focuses on speeding up business permits. He also wants police and fire kept fully staffed.
Loren Gameros
Loren Gameros is an instructor and building inspection trades coordinator. Voters elected him to City Council District 2 in November 2020. He was reelected in 2024. His platform centers on public safety and youth recreation. He also wants roads and parks kept up.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.