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City of Delano · Statewide General Election

Delano City Council

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds one of two at-large seats up this cycle on Delano's 5-member City Council, elected citywide (not by district) to 4-year terms at general municipal elections held every 2 years, which staggers the seats. Delano also directly elects a separate Mayor at-large -- not up this cycle.

Four candidates qualified for two of Delano's five at-large City Council seats on the November 3 ballot, per Kern County's own candidate list: incumbents Mario Nunez Jr. and Liz Morris are both seeking re-election, against two newcomers, Elizabeth Arteaga-Gonzalez and Carlton M. Lennon. A fifth filer, Aaron De Santiago, did not ultimately qualify.

The two winners each serve a four-year term on Delano's five-member, at-large City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions citywide. Delano also elects a separate Mayor at-large -- not up this cycle -- who presides over meetings but casts one vote like any other member.

Two of the four candidates already hold the seats up this cycle, so the choice is less about council experience than whether voters want to keep the current representation or bring in one of two newcomers with no city-council record.

Mario Nunez Jr.

He has served on Delano's City Council since 2022 and currently serves as Mayor Pro-Tem, per the city's own staff page. He's seeking a second term. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.

Strengths

One term on the council (elected 2022) and current service as Mayor Pro-Tem, the position his colleagues chose him for.

Trade-offs

No specific 2026 platform could be confirmed from available reporting -- a real gap for a sitting Mayor Pro-Tem.

Keep in mind

He's one of two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election in this four-candidate field, running under the ballot designation "Incumbent."

Liz Morris

She has served on Delano's City Council since 2022, per the city's own staff page. She's seeking a second term. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond her qualified candidacy filing.

Strengths

One term on the council (elected 2022), the same tenure as her council colleague also seeking re-election this cycle.

Trade-offs

No specific 2026 platform could be confirmed from available reporting -- the same gap facing her council colleague on this ballot.

Keep in mind

She's one of two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election in this four-candidate field, running under the ballot designation "Incumbent."

Elizabeth Arteaga-Gonzalez

She works as a real estate agent, per her own ballot filing, and has not previously served on the council. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond her qualified candidacy filing.

Strengths

A real estate agent and one of two newcomers in this four-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting incumbents.

Trade-offs

No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.

Keep in mind

Her ballot designation, "Real Estate Agent," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.

Carlton M. Lennon

He works as a business consultant, per his own ballot filing, and has not previously served on the council. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.

Strengths

A business consultant and one of two newcomers in this four-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting incumbents.

Trade-offs

No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.

Keep in mind

His ballot designation, "Business Consultant," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.

Source review: Strong (89/100) · 4 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • kernvote.com (opens in a new tab)Kern County Elections Division -- "Contest/Candidate Proof List," November 3, 2026 General Election (report code CFMR001, printed 8/17/2026); Delano City Council is contest 7031, Maricopa City Council is contest 7041, Ridgecrest Mayor is contest 7060, Ridgecrest City Council is contest 7061, Shafter City Council is contest 7071. Reached via a live browser session, navigating a fresh tab straight to each page's own URL fragment (#page=N) -- direct curl/WebFetch 403s behind an Akamai WAF, and the embedded viewer freezes after one render/scroll per tab, so each contest's roster was captured from a separate fresh tab.
  • cityofdelano.org (opens in a new tab)City of Delano -- City Council (overview page: "The mayor and council members are elected 'at large'... Members are elected for 4-year terms at general municipal elections which are held every 2 years"; lists the 5-member council and Mayor by name)
  • cityofdelano.org (opens in a new tab)City of Delano -- Mayor Pro-Tem Mario Nunez Jr. (staff page: "Council Term: 2022-2026")
  • cityofdelano.org (opens in a new tab)City of Delano -- Council Member Liz Morris (staff page: "Council Term: 2022-2026")

Last updated September 3, 2026.