ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)Orange County Registrar of Voters — "Contest/Candidate Proof List," General Election 11/3/2026 (printed by the county 8/28/2026 3:47-3:48pm): Mission Viejo's five City Council district contests (pages 130-134 of 188), each candidate's filing date, ballot occupation, and incumbency, and the "Short Term" label on Districts 2 and 4
missionviejo.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Mission Viejo — Election Information page: the same nine-candidate, five-district roster as the county's Proof List, plus the city's own explanation that Districts 2 and 4 serve a short 2-year term (through 2028) while Districts 1, 3, and 5 serve the normal 4 years, to stagger future elections
missionviejo.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Mission Viejo — City Council page: the sitting 5-member council, one per district (Ruesch D1, Goodell D2, Vasquez D3, Kelley D4, Bucknum D5/Mayor), council-manager government, and the annual council-selected Mayor/Mayor Pro Tem
ocregister.com (opens in a new tab)Orange County Register — "Candidate fields take shape for City Council elections in Orange County": independently corroborates all five Mission Viejo district pairings, the two-year "staggered rotation" terms for Districts 2 and 4, and that Steven Thornton is unopposed in District 5; read via its Wayback Machine snapshot after a live fetch was blocked
missionviejo.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Mission Viejo — Districting Plan A packet (Dec. 2021): the adopted five-district map and per-district population figures (total city population 93,760) that took effect for the city's first, November 2022 by-district council election
missionviejo.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Mission Viejo — official council-member biography for Bob Ruesch: entrepreneur (five businesses started); Boy Scouts of America leader 20+ years; appointed to city commissions 2016-2022 before becoming District 1's first-ever elected councilmember in December 2022; elected Mayor by his colleagues in 2025; stated priorities include neighborhood watch/FLOCK cameras, the Oso Creek Golf Course project, and the Downtown Core Vision Plan

Last updated August 31, 2026.

City of Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo City Council, District 1

This person holds your district's seat on Mission Viejo's City Council. The council has five members. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs day to day operations. The council elects a Mayor from among its own members each year. It also elects a Mayor Pro Tem the same way. The term is four years.

Incumbent Bob Ruesch faces challenger Kristen Wilcox for Mission Viejo City Council, District 1. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright, with no runoff.

This person holds your district's seat on Mission Viejo's 5-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Mission Viejo is a general-law city with a council-manager government -- an appointed city manager runs day-to-day operations, and the council elects a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among its own members each year. The term is four years.

Ruesch was District 1's first-ever elected councilmember, winning the city's inaugural by-district election in November 2022 after several years on city commissions. He's now seeking a second term, having also been chosen by his council colleagues to serve as Mayor for 2025. Wilcox, a first-time candidate, filed with no ballot designation; no independent news coverage or campaign material was found for them in this pass beyond the county's own candidate filing.

Robert "Bob" Ruesch

Robert "Bob" Ruesch is the incumbent, first elected to the council in 2022. His priorities include crime reduction, the Oso Creek Golf Course redevelopment, and downtown planning. His colleagues elected him Mayor for 2025, after he served on two city commissions.

Kristen Wilcox

Kristen Wilcox is a first time candidate for this seat. No campaign website or other public information about them was found.

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A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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