Review note: Margaret Finlay for Duarte City Council and Luz Yesenia Paez for Duarte City Council may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- cityofduarte.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Duarte — Mayor & City Council (official roster of all seven district officeholders; council structure, terms, and general-municipal-election rules)
- cityofduarte.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Duarte — Councilmember Margaret Finlay, District 1 (official biography: seven terms as Mayor, 34 years on the council, education, and regional-government experience)
- ssl.netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of Duarte — NetFile Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure (committee search confirming active 2026 filers 'Finlay for Duarte City Council 2026' and 'Luz Yesenia Paez Campaign for Duarte City Council 2026,' each with a mid-year Form 460; all filings on record are scanned paper documents, not e-filed transactions)
- theballotbook.com (opens in a new tab)The Ballot Book — City of Duarte, District 1 candidates ('1 office, 2 candidates': Luz Yesenia Paez, Margaret E. Finlay), independent corroboration of the two-candidate field
- margaretfinlay.com (opens in a new tab)Margaret Finlay for Duarte City Council — campaign site (Accomplishments and Goals page: three-decade record and stated priorities for a new term)
- luzyeseniapaez.com (opens in a new tab)Luz Yesenia Paez for Duarte City Council — campaign site ('Meet Luz Yesenia' biography and 'Key Priorities' platform pages)
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Duarte
Duarte City Council, District 1
This person holds District 1's seat on Duarte's 7-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. The term is four years.
Seven-term Mayor Margaret Finlay has held Duarte's District 1 seat for 34 years. She faces a second challenge from Luz Yesenia Paez. Paez ran for the same seat in 2022. Duarte elects its seven member council directly each November, with no primary.
The winner holds one of Duarte's seven district seats on the City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. The term is four years. The council appoints the city manager who runs the day to day work. The council also sits as the legislative body for the city's redevelopment successor agency. It does the same for the housing authority.
Finlay's three decade tenure comes with a long list of regional posts. Voters weigh those against her incumbency. Paez's record is shorter and more recent. It comes from Duarte's own appointed commissions, not elected office. The choice is between extending an entrenched incumbency and handing the seat to Paez. Their public credentials are four years of city commission service.
Margaret Finlay
Margaret Finlay has been on the Duarte City Council for 34 years. Her colleagues have chosen her as Mayor seven times, most recently in this term. She has chaired the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority's executive committee since 2020. She is also an elected commissioner on LA County's Local Agency Formation Commission.
Luz Yesenia Paez
Luz Yesenia Paez works as a Public Utility Analyst for the City of Azusa. They chair Duarte's Planning and Economic Development Commission. They hold a master's degree and won a 2026 Woman of the Year award.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.