- sdvote.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego County Registrar of Voters -- Candidate List, November 3, 2026 General Election (current through the 8/24/2026 2:44pm snapshot): confirms Mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 3, City Clerk, and City Treasurer as Carlsbad's five November 2026 races, and Mayor plus City Council Districts 1 and 3 as Poway's three November 2026 races, each Vote for 1
- cityoflamesa.gov (opens in a new tab)City of La Mesa -- Elections page: confirms Mayor, two City Council seats, and City Treasurer as the three November 3, 2026 races, each a 4-year term, and lists the same eight qualified candidates as the county's own Candidate List, confirming council seats are filled at-large, not by district
- sandiegouniontribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Union-Tribune (Hannah Elsmore) -- "Two council members vie for La Mesa's mayor seat; treasurer's race also on the ballot": dated, bylined reporting naming, and giving party, occupation, and platform detail for, all eight qualified candidates across all three La Mesa races, plus June 30, 2026 cash-on-hand figures for the two councilmember-mayoral candidates and Bill Exeter's 2022 vote share against Matt Strabone
- cityoflamesa.gov (opens in a new tab)City of La Mesa -- City Treasurer page: names Matt Strabone (elected 2022) as the outgoing treasurer and describes the office's core duty of investing the city's surplus funds under the state Government Code
- eastcountymagazine.org (opens in a new tab)East County Magazine (Karen Pearlman) -- "La Mesa Treasurer Matt Strabone leaves to take on NATO role; city to fill position by appointment": dated news story on Strabone's Aug. 12, 2026 resignation to become a NATO Legal Advisor, the council's decision to fill the vacancy by appointment rather than a special election, his 2022 defeat of Bill Exeter with 54.01% of the vote, and Exeter's in-person appearance at the July 28, 2026 council meeting on the vacancy
Last updated September 7, 2026.
City of La Mesa
La Mesa City Treasurer
This person invests the city's surplus funds. They report on La Mesa's financial position. This is a technical role, not a policymaking one. Voters elect it citywide, separately from the City Council. The term is four years.
City Treasurer Matt Strabone resigned on August 12, 2026, before his term was up. Two candidates are running for the open seat, Bill Exeter and Emmett Stewart. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright. There is no runoff.
The treasurer invests the city's surplus funds -- roughly $65 million as of Strabone's tenure -- and reports on La Mesa's financial position. It's a technical, non-policymaking role elected citywide, separate from the City Council, with day-to-day city government run by an appointed city manager. The term is four years.
Strabone, first elected in 2022 as the first millennial and first Democrat ever elected to the office, announced his NATO departure in a since-deleted social media post; the City Council voted to fill the vacancy by appointment rather than call a special election, given the cost and the proximity to the November election. Strabone is not a candidate for his own former seat. His departure reopens a rematch of sorts: Bill Exeter, whom Strabone defeated in 2022, is running again against a new opponent, Emmett Stewart.
Bill Exeter
Bill Exeter is a Republican and a financial advisor. He has decades of experience in finance. He ran for city treasurer against Matt Strabone in 2022. He lost, 45.99% to 54.01%. He appeared at the City Council's July 28, 2026, meeting to reintroduce himself.
Emmett Stewart
Emmett Stewart is a financial analyst. He also works as a business operations intern, according to his candidate filing.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.