Review note: Luz Molina's own campaign site: background (raised in National City, former elected City Clerk, first D1 councilmember since 2022, now Vice-Mayor), record claims ($3.4M for streets/transit, 60+ town halls, opposing a proposed West National City biofuels depot), and endorsements 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
- nationalcityca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of National City, City Clerk — Election 2026: confirms Mayor and City Council Districts 1 and 3 as the city's November 3, 2026 General Election races, and that districts were adopted in Dec. 2021
- nationalcityca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of National City — Mayor and City Council: names the sitting Mayor and all four district council members (Molina D1, Rodriguez D2, Yamane D3, Bush D4) ahead of the 2026 election
- voiceofsandiego.org (opens in a new tab)Voice of San Diego — South County Report: "Voters Prefer Insiders" (2026-06-11): confirms National City held no June primary for its 2026 municipal races
- luzfornationalcity.com (opens in a new tab)Luz Molina's own campaign site: background (raised in National City, former elected City Clerk, first D1 councilmember since 2022, now Vice-Mayor), record claims ($3.4M for streets/transit, 60+ town halls, opposing a proposed West National City biofuels depot), and endorsements
- sandiegouniontribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Union-Tribune — "Q&A with Cindy Lopez, candidate for National School Board" (2024-10-06): describes her as a substitute teacher and, at the time, an executive assistant in National City's council office, plus a National City Library trustee, and her education platform
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — Cindy Lopez: elected to the National School District Governing Board in November 2024, term through December 2028
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS — filer/committee search: ACTIVE 2026 committees for Luz Molina ("Molina Reelect City Council 2026," Filer #1488169) and Cindy Lopez ("Lopez for City Council 2026; Neighbors for Cindy," Filer #1491223), neither with an e-filed Form 460/461/450 this cycle as of retrieval
- efile.nationalcityca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of National City eFile — public campaign-disclosure search
Last updated September 3, 2026.
City of National City
National City Council, District 1
This person holds your district's seat on National City'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.
Incumbent Councilmember Luz Molina faces Cindy Lopez for the District 1 seat. Molina became District 1's first-ever officeholder when the city adopted district elections in 2022. Lopez is a National School District trustee who also works in National City's council office. There is no primary. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins the seat.
This seat holds one of National City's four district seats on a 5-member City Council that also includes the citywide-elected mayor: city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions. The term is four years.
National City runs a single November election with no June primary, unlike neighboring charter cities Chula Vista and San Diego. Molina, elected in 2022, is now Vice-Mayor; Lopez was elected to the National School District board in 2024 and, per an October 2024 Union-Tribune interview, was working as an executive assistant in National City's council office at the time.
Luz Molina
Luz Molina is the incumbent Councilmember for District 1 and the city's Vice-Mayor. Her campaign cites $3.4M for streets and transit and more than 60 town halls held. She was previously National City's elected City Clerk.
Cindy Lopez
Cindy Lopez is a National School District trustee, elected in 2024. A 2024 interview said she worked as an executive assistant in National City's council office. Voice of San Diego describes her as a close ally of Councilmember Jose Rodriguez.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.