Review note: Consuelo Martinez's own campaign/officeholder site: "I have decided not to seek re-election beyond 2026. My final day in office as your Councilmember will be December 9, 2026" may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- sdvote.com (opens in a new tab)County of San Diego Registrar of Voters — Candidate List, November 3, 2026 General Election (current through the 8/24/2026 2:44pm snapshot): confirms Mayor, City Council District 1, and City Council District 2 as Escondido's three November 2026 races, each Vote for 1 Candidate, and gives each candidate's stated ballot occupation
- escondido.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Escondido — Elections: names all six qualified candidates across Mayor, District 1, and District 2 for the November 3, 2026 General Election, and states outright that Districts 3 and 4 plus the City Treasurer are not on this ballot -- those seats run on a staggered 4-year cycle and are next up in 2028
- escondido.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Escondido — City Council: an elected mayor plus four district-elected council members; names Mayor Dane White, Councilmember Consuelo Martinez (District One), Deputy Mayor Joe Garcia (District Two), Councilmember Christian Garcia (District Three), and Councilmember Judy Fitzgerald (District Four)
- consuelomartinez.com (opens in a new tab)Consuelo Martinez's own campaign/officeholder site: "I have decided not to seek re-election beyond 2026. My final day in office as your Councilmember will be December 9, 2026"
- thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group — "Election 2026: Escondido City Council": candidate backgrounds, priorities, and platform quotes largely in their own words for all six qualified candidates across Mayor, District 1, and District 2, plus one additional District 1 hopeful (Alisa Nicholson Rice) who does not appear on the county's later certified list or the Times-Advocate's Aug. 13 final-field roundup
- sandiegouniontribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Union-Tribune (Paul Sisson) — "White seeks second term as Escondido mayor": confirms three positions on the November ballot and frames District 1 as wide open following Consuelo Martinez's departure; the full article is paywalled beyond its opening paragraphs as retrieved
- times-advocate.com (opens in a new tab)Escondido Times-Advocate (David Ross) — "It's a two-man mayor's race": reports Kathie Phillips' withdrawal ahead of the Aug. 7 filing deadline and lists the final, complete six-candidate field across Mayor, District 1, and District 2 -- matching the county's own certified Candidate List exactly
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS — filer search: an ACTIVE "Horsley for City Council 2026; Tanner" committee; Vanessa Valenzuela's own record carries only a TERMINATED 2018 council-run committee, no 2026-specific filing found
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Escondido
Escondido City Council, District 1
This person holds your district's seat on Escondido's 5-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the citywide-elected mayor. The term is four years.
Tanner Horsley and Vanessa Valenzuela are running for Escondido City Council, District 1. The seat is open because incumbent Consuelo Martinez chose not to run again. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins, with no runoff.
This person holds District 1's seat on Escondido's 5-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected mayor. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions. The term is four years.
With Martinez stepping aside after two terms, this is a genuinely open race between two Escondido residents with different professional backgrounds: Horsley brings a military and defense-industry career and centers his campaign on public safety and first-responder pay, while Valenzuela brings two decades of nonprofit finance experience and centers hers on housing affordability.
Tanner Horsley
Tanner Horsley is a Marine Corps veteran who has served on active duty since 2006. This first-time candidate is campaigning on better pay for first responders and smart-growth housing. He has also worked at Qualcomm and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Vanessa Valenzuela
Vanessa Valenzuela is a lifelong Escondido resident with about 20 years of financial experience. She is finance director at the nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego. She ran for City Council in 2018 and is campaigning now on housing affordability.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.