- 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 Trish Kelley (District 4, not seeking re-election in 2026): originally elected to the council in November 2002 (24 years' tenure) and elected Mayor by colleagues six times (2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2021, 2024)
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo City Council, District 4 (Short Term)
This person holds your district's seat on Mission Viejo's five-member City Council. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs day-to-day operations. Each year, the council picks a Mayor from its own members. It also picks a Mayor Pro Tem. This particular term is a short, two-year term. Normal terms are four years. This shorter term is part of the city's move to staggered council elections.
Laura Lacko faces James Morrison for Mission Viejo City Council, District 4. It's an open seat, since incumbent Trish Kelley isn't running again. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins, for a short 2 year term.
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. This particular term is a short, 2-year term (see note below) rather than the usual 4 years, part of the city's transition to staggered council elections.
This seat is open: Trish Kelley, on the council since November 2002 -- 24 years, including six separate terms as Mayor (2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2021, and 2024) -- did not file for re-election, ending the longest tenure on the outgoing council. Neither candidate has held elected office before, and no independent news coverage of either was found in this pass beyond their county-filed ballot occupations.
Laura Lacko
Laura Lacko is a first time candidate whose ballot occupation is Community Volunteer. No news profile or campaign website was found for them.
James Morrison
James Morrison is a first time candidate whose ballot occupation is Human Resources Professional. No news profile or campaign website was found for them.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.