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City of Montclair · Statewide General Election

Montclair City Council

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 would hold one of two open seats on Montclair's City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the separately elected Mayor. All four Council seats are elected citywide rather than by district, on staggered 4-year terms -- the other two seats (currently Benjamin Lopez and Xavier Mendez) were last up in November 2024 and aren't on this ballot. The Council appoints one of its own members to serve as Mayor Pro Tem after each biennial election.

Four candidates -- incumbents Bill Ruh and Corysa Martinez, plus challengers Alice Garcia and Victor Mendez -- are running for Montclair's two open, at-large City Council seats on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Whoever gets the two highest vote totals wins outright -- there is no primary or runoff.

This person would hold one of two open seats on Montclair's City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the separately elected Mayor. All four Council seats are elected citywide rather than by district, on staggered 4-year terms -- the other two seats (currently Benjamin Lopez and Xavier Mendez, term exp. 11/2028) aren't on this ballot. The Council appoints one of its own members to serve as Mayor Pro Tem after each biennial election.

Ruh, first elected in 1998, and Martinez, on the Council since a 2019 appointment and now the sitting Mayor Pro Tem, are both seeking another term. Garcia and Mendez, both first-time candidates for this office, are challenging them for the two seats.

Bill Ruh

Bill Ruh is a lifelong Montclair resident first elected to the City Council in November 1998, after ten years on the Planning Commission (1988-98) and election, in 1991, to the Monte Vista Water District board as its then-youngest-ever member. He served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2012-14 and again 2020-22, and chaired the oversight board for the city's former Redevelopment Agency from 2012-18. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of La Verne and has spent his career in legislative and government affairs -- including work for the California State Assembly, State Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives -- and currently chairs the State Water Resources Control Board's Santa Ana Region. His filed ballot designation is "Councilmember/Policy Analyst." In 2019, when the Council was weighing whether to appoint a relative of the late Councilwoman Trisha Martinez to her vacant seat, Ruh publicly opposed the appointment on principle, telling the Council, "It...violates my beliefs and strong moral opinion that democracy is best served by an election," and "I do not believe in dynasties or legacies."

Strengths

28 years of continuous Council service, a record of regional-agency leadership (water quality, transit, redevelopment oversight), and an on-record instance of opposing his colleagues on principle.

Trade-offs

This dataset found no independent news coverage of his current 2026 campaign or recent council votes beyond the 2019 appointment episode.

Keep in mind

28 years in office is an unusually long tenure for a city council seat -- worth weighing against the continuity and committee experience it represents.

Alice Garcia

Alice Garcia is a 25-year Montclair resident and first-time candidate for City Council, whose filed ballot designation is "Project Coordinator." In her own candidate statement, she describes a background in grassroots resident advocacy and says her professional focus on "oversight, complex problem-solving, and managing operational budgets" would carry into city governance, with priorities of public safety, fiscal accountability, and support for small businesses. No independent news coverage of Garcia was found in this pass.

Strengths

A stated professional background in project and budget oversight, plus a long personal history in the city (25 years) and self-described grassroots organizing experience.

Trade-offs

No independent verification of her platform or background beyond her own filed statement was found in this pass, and her campaign has not yet filed an itemized financial disclosure.

Keep in mind

As a first-time candidate, there's no prior voting or committee record to evaluate -- her filed statement is the fullest account of her views available in this dataset.

Corysa Martinez

Corysa Martinez is Montclair's sitting Mayor Pro Tem, appointed to the City Council in November 2019, at 29, to fill the seat left vacant by the death in office of her mother, Councilwoman Trisha Martinez -- beating out several other applicants for the appointment, per the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's reporting at the time. She won a 2020 special election for the seat uncontested and was re-elected to a full term in November 2022. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from USC (2012), a J.D. from the University of La Verne College of Law (2015), and a Master of Tax Law from Loyola Law School (2019), and has practiced law since 2015. Her filed ballot designation is "Councilmember, City of Montclair."

Strengths

Nearly seven years of Council experience, a legal background distinct from her colleagues, and an origin story verifiable independently -- reported and contested at the time, not just her own account.

Trade-offs

No independent coverage of her recent council record beyond the 2019 appointment story; her latest disclosure reclassifies a forgiven personal loan as a contribution, not new outside fundraising.

Keep in mind

Hers was one of two Montclair council appointments made to a family member of a departing or deceased official in the same period (Mayor Paul Eaton's wife was separately appointed to his seat in 2018) -- context worth knowing given how her own service began.

Victor Mendez

Victor Mendez is a 27-year Montclair resident and first-time candidate for City Council, whose filed ballot designation is "Deputy Sheriff." Per his own campaign material, he has served 24 years as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy in patrol, custody, transportation, and courts (bailiff) assignments, and has been president of the Montclair Town Center Homeowners Association for the past 11 of his 13 years as a member. He is bilingual in English and Spanish. No independent news coverage of Mendez was found in this pass. He is a different person from sitting Montclair Councilmember Xavier Mendez, whose seat is not up until 2028.

Strengths

A stated multi-decade law-enforcement career and over a decade of HOA leadership experience in Montclair specifically.

Trade-offs

No independent verification of his record or platform beyond his own campaign site was found in this pass, and his campaign has not yet filed an itemized financial disclosure.

Keep in mind

As a first-time candidate, there's no prior voting or committee record to evaluate; his law-enforcement career is relevant context for a campaign that centers public safety.

Source review: Strong (89/100) · 12 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context; advocacy or endorsement sources are treated as attributed perspective.

Review note: Each candidate's own campaign site, self-description attributed in text: Bill Ruh's (billruh.com, confirms election at-large, adds detail consistent with and fuller than the city's own biography of him -- degree, career history, boards and civic involvements, and his 2026 priorities); Javier "John" Dutrey's (montclairmayordutrey.com, consistent with the city's own biography, adds his current policy priorities and objectives); and Victor Mendez's (victor4montclair2026.com -- the only source found for his biography: 24-year Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy across patrol, custody, transportation, and courts; Montclair Town Center HOA member 13 years, president the last 11; youth soccer coach). No campaign site was found for Alice Garcia beyond her filed candidate statement. may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

  • uploads.rov.sbcounty.gov (opens in a new tab)San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters -- "Offices Up for Election, November 3, 2026, General Election" (the same document as sb-offices-up-2026, a different section): the "City of Montclair" section lists exactly two offices, each a 4-year term -- Mayor (1 seat) and Member, City Council (2 seats, no district number given).
  • uploads.rov.sbcounty.gov (opens in a new tab)San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters -- statewide "Report_CandidateList.pdf" candidate-filing report (the same document as sb-candidate-list-2026, a different section): the "City of Montclair" section (pp. 152-155 of 249) names one qualified 2026 Mayor candidate -- Javier "John" Dutrey (flagged Incumbent), unopposed -- and four qualified City Council candidates for two seats -- Victor Mendez, Alice Garcia, Bill Ruh (Incumbent), Corysa Martinez (Incumbent) -- each with their filed ballot designation, "Last Updated: 8/28/2026."
  • cityofmontclair.org (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- "November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election" page: a "City Offices on the Ballot" table confirming Mayor (1 seat, 4 years) and Council Member (2 seats, 4 years), and an "Incumbents of Offices on the Ballot" table naming Javier "John" Dutrey (Mayor, term exp. 11/2026), Bill Ruh (Council Member, term exp. 11/2026), and Corysa Martinez (Mayor Pro Tem, term exp. 11/2026) -- reached directly with a browser User-Agent; a plain WebFetch of cityofmontclair.org returns HTTP 403, but curl does not.
  • storage.googleapis.com (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- "Qualified Candidates" list (dated 8/7/2026), hosted directly by the city's own site: gives each of the five 2026 candidates' ballot designation, office sought, voluntarily provided contact info and campaign website, and the dates their nomination documents were issued, filed, and qualified -- Ruh's and Martinez's documents were issued and filed weeks after Garcia's, Mendez's, and Dutrey's, consistent with each being an incumbent filing near the deadline.
  • storage.googleapis.com (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- "List of Qualified Candidates for November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election," hosted directly by the city's own site: gives the certified ballot order (by the Secretary of State's random-alphabet drawing) as Ruh, Garcia, Martinez, Mendez for City Council and confirms which candidates filed a first-person candidate statement -- Ruh, Garcia, and Martinez did ("Yes"); Dutrey and Mendez did not ("No").
  • cityofmontclair.org (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- "City Council" government page: confirms the Mayor and four Council Members are all elected citywide by Montclair voters (no districts), on staggered 4-year terms, with the Council appointing one of its own members as Mayor Pro Tem following each biennial election; lists the current five-member roster -- Dutrey (Mayor), Martinez (Mayor Pro Tem), Ruh, Benjamin "Ben" Lopez, and Xavier Mendez (the last two, term exp. 11/2028, are not on this year's ballot).
  • cityofmontclair.org (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- "City Council Biographies" page: city-authored (not campaign-authored) biographies for each sitting Council Member. Dutrey: lifelong resident, Montclair HS class of 1983, BA Political Science and MA Public Administration (both Cal State San Bernardino), son of Basque immigrants, elected to Council in 1996 (after Planning Commission 1990-96) and Mayor in 2018, serves on SBCTA/Omnitrans/SCAG/Metrolink/Foothill Gold Line boards. Martinez: on Council since Nov. 2019, elected uncontested in 2020 to complete the term and re-elected to a full term in 2022, BA Anthropology (USC, 2012), JD (University of La Verne College of Law, 2015), LL.M. in Tax Law (Loyola Law School, 2019), practicing attorney since 2015. Ruh: elected to Council in Nov. 1998 (after Planning Commission 1988-98 and election to the Monte Vista Water District board in 1991 as its then-youngest-ever member), Mayor Pro Tem 2012-14 and 2020-22, BA Political Science (University of La Verne), career in legislative/government affairs including the state Assembly and Senate and the U.S. House, currently chairs the State Water Resources Control Board's Santa Ana Region.
  • en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- "Montclair, California": incorporated April 25, 1956 as "Monte Vista," renamed Montclair in 1958; a General Law city (City Council-City Manager form of government); independently corroborates the current roster (Mayor Javier "John" Dutrey; Mayor Pro Tem Corysa Martinez; Council Members Bill Ruh, Benjamin "Ben" Lopez, and Xavier Mendez) -- confirming Xavier Mendez, a sitting Council Member, is a different person from 2026 Council candidate Victor Mendez.
  • montclair.efile.systems (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair's own electronic campaign-finance filing system at montclair.efile.systems (distinct from the NetFile platform other San Bernardino County cities in this dataset use) -- a client-rendered Next.js app whose underlying JSON API this pass reverse-engineered from the app's own downloaded JS bundles, queried directly for all five 2026 candidates and their committees, then used to pull and locally parse (pypdf/pdfplumber) specific FPPC Form 460 filings, unredacted and fully itemized unlike the NetFile filings documented elsewhere in this file. Dutrey's committee (FPPC #1409162, active since a 2018 Form 410) reported $1,000 in itemized contributions for Jan-June 2026 (two $500 gifts: Cole Burr, President of Burrtec Waste Industries, and Edison International), zero expenditures, a $14,910.05 ending cash balance, and a $5,500 outstanding debt (Dutrey's own loan to his committee, dated 12/31/2018). Ruh's committee (FPPC #982027, active since 2018) filed an amended Jan-June 2026 report (2026-08-21) showing zero contributions, zero expenditures, and a flat $4,325.78 cash balance carried forward. Martinez's committee (FPPC #1446356, active since 2020) reported $1,689.09 in contributions for the same period -- $1,589.09 of it a reclassification of a prior loan she personally made to the committee into a contribution, plus a new $100 itemized cash contribution, also from Martinez herself -- for a net cash increase of $100 to a $301.00 ending balance. Garcia's and Mendez's committees had each filed only a Form 410/501 as of this retrieval, no Form 460 yet -- the city's first pre-election filing deadline (Sept. 24, 2026) had not yet passed.
  • storage.googleapis.com (opens in a new tab)City of Montclair -- the full first-person candidate statements filed with the City Clerk by Bill Ruh, Alice Garcia, and Corysa Martinez, each hosted as its own PDF on the city's official election page; self-authored by each candidate, treated as first-person self-description and attributed in text, not as independent evaluation.
  • dailybulletin.com (opens in a new tab)Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Steve Scauzillo) -- "Daughter of late Montclair councilwoman appointed to fill her vacant seat": read in full. Reports, with named on-the-record quotes, that the Montclair City Council appointed Corysa Martinez, 29, on Nov. 18, 2019 to fill the seat left vacant by the death in office of her own mother, Councilwoman Trisha Martinez; that she had passed the bar and was practicing law in Upland; and that fellow Councilman Bill Ruh publicly objected to the appointment on principle ("It...violates my beliefs and strong moral opinion that democracy is best served by an election," "I do not believe in dynasties or legacies").
  • billruh.com (opens in a new tab)Each candidate's own campaign site, self-description attributed in text: Bill Ruh's (billruh.com, confirms election at-large, adds detail consistent with and fuller than the city's own biography of him -- degree, career history, boards and civic involvements, and his 2026 priorities); Javier "John" Dutrey's (montclairmayordutrey.com, consistent with the city's own biography, adds his current policy priorities and objectives); and Victor Mendez's (victor4montclair2026.com -- the only source found for his biography: 24-year Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy across patrol, custody, transportation, and courts; Montclair Town Center HOA member 13 years, president the last 11; youth soccer coach). No campaign site was found for Alice Garcia beyond her filed candidate statement.

Last updated August 31, 2026.