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City of El Monte · Statewide General Election

El Monte City Council, District 2

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

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 six single-member districts on El Monte's City Council, voting alongside the separately elected Mayor -- a 7-member body in all -- on the budget, land use, and city ordinances. A 4-year term; day-to-day city operations run through an appointed city manager.

Martin Herrera was the only candidate to qualify for El Monte's District 2 council seat, so he runs unopposed on the November 3 ballot for a second term.

The winner takes a 4-year term on El Monte's 7-member City Council: one vote alongside the separately elected Mayor and five other district councilmembers on the budget, land use, and city ordinances. Day-to-day city operations run through an appointed city manager, not the council directly.

With no opponent, this isn't really a choice between candidates — the meaningful information is how Herrera has already used the seat, including a January 2026 vote that put him in the minority on how El Monte structures its own elected offices.

Martin Herrera

Martin Herrera is the incumbent District 2 councilmember, first elected in November 2022 and now seeking a second term unopposed. The city has not posted a biographical narrative for him beyond his term dates, and no campaign-finance committee was found under his name.

Strengths

A full term of incumbency and no organized opposition this cycle.

Trade-offs

The city's own biography page for him carries no narrative — career, education, and platform simply aren't public record here.

Keep in mind

In January 2026, Herrera was one of only two councilmembers (with Mayor Ancona) to vote against even studying a proposal to eliminate El Monte's elected Mayor, City Clerk, and City Treasurer offices; the council later tabled the idea unanimously.

Source review: Strong (89/100) · 6 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • ci.el-monte.ca.us (opens in a new tab)City of El Monte — Notice of Election, November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election (one Mayor at-large, 2-yr term; Council Districts 2, 3, 6; City Clerk and City Treasurer at-large — all four 4-yr terms)
  • ci.el-monte.ca.us (opens in a new tab)City of El Monte — Interested Candidate List, Status of Candidate Pulling & Filing Nomination Papers (current through the extended Aug. 12, 2026 filing deadline; all three Mayor filers reached 'Date Qualified')
  • ci.el-monte.ca.us (opens in a new tab)City of El Monte — City Council (official roster: the Mayor plus six single-member district councilmembers, a 7-member body in all; links to each member's biography page)
  • ci.el-monte.ca.us (opens in a new tab)City of El Monte — Councilmember Martin Herrera, District 2 (official biography page: elected Nov. 2022, term expires Nov. 2026; no biographical narrative posted beyond term dates)
  • sgvtribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Southern California News Group) — El Monte City Council tables vote on making city clerk, city treasurer, mayor appointed roles (unanimous Feb. 25, 2026 vote to indefinitely table the restructuring; effort never reached the Nov. 2026 ballot)
  • midvalleynews.com (opens in a new tab)The Mid Valley News — Council Advances Plan to Restructure Offices (names the Jan. 14, 2026 5-2 council vote to begin outreach on eliminating the elected Mayor/Clerk/Treasurer offices, with Ancona and Herrera voting no; superseded by the SGV Tribune's Feb. 25, 2026 tabling)

Last updated August 31, 2026.