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City of National City · Statewide General Election

National City Council, District 3

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 holds your district's seat on National City's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the citywide-elected mayor. A 4-year term.

Incumbent Councilmember Ditas Yamane, District 3's first-ever officeholder after several earlier election losses, faces two challengers, Jerry Cano and Edward Nieto, in a district drawn in 2021 with a heavily Filipino population. There is no primary; whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins the seat outright.

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. A 4-year term.

National City adopted district elections in December 2021 after an attorney threatened a California Voting Rights Act suit over at-large dilution of Filipino and other API voters' influence; District 3 was drawn as a heavily Filipino district, per the San Diego Reader's reporting on the city's Filipino-Mexican political dynamics.

Ditas Yamane

The incumbent, a real-estate broker and longtime National City resident born in the Philippines. She lost council bids in 2010 and 2020, a mayoral bid in 2018, and a city treasurer bid in 2016 before winning District 3's first-ever election in 2022 — becoming the first Filipino councilmember elected in the city in over a decade. She also serves on the Sweetwater Authority board.

Strengths

One full council term since 2022, a broader local network from repeated prior campaigns, and a concurrent Sweetwater Authority board seat representing National City.

Trade-offs

Four prior election losses (council twice, mayor, treasurer) before finally winning in 2022 — a longer path to office than either challenger has attempted.

Keep in mind

Her campaign site offers only a brief tagline about neighborhood safety, with no detailed platform posted as of this dataset's research.

Jerry Cano

A repeat candidate for this seat, with California campaign-finance records showing prior council runs in 2012 and 2016 (both terminated committees). Beyond his ballot designation, "Environmental Protection Specialist," no independent news profile, campaign website, or 2026 CAL-ACCESS committee was found for him despite a dedicated search.

Strengths

Two prior council campaigns (2012, 2016) give him more electoral experience in this specific race than fellow challenger Nieto.

Trade-offs

Two prior losses, and no 2026 campaign committee found with the state — either self-funding below the filing threshold or not yet registered.

Keep in mind

No campaign website, news coverage, or voter-guide profile was found for him after a real search effort — an honest gap, not evidence about his level of support.

Edward Nieto

A first-time candidate for this seat, as far as California campaign-finance records show — no prior committee under his name was found. Beyond his ballot designation, "Retired Governmental Accountant," no independent news profile or campaign website was found for him despite a dedicated search.

Strengths

An active, registered 2026 campaign committee with the state, unlike fellow challenger Cano.

Trade-offs

No prior campaign or elected office found in National City, and no CAL-ACCESS Form 460/461/450 filed yet this cycle to show fundraising.

Keep in mind

No campaign website, news coverage, or voter-guide profile was found for him after a real search effort — an honest gap, not evidence about his level of support.

Source review: Strong (89/100) · 7 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: Ditas Yamane's own re-election campaign site 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
  • sandiegoreader.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Reader — "Filipinos and Mexicans struggle for power in National City" (Adam Behar, 2024-06-05): National City's Dec. 2021 switch to district elections, District 3 drawn as a heavily Filipino district, and Ditas Yamane's path to becoming the first Filipino councilmember elected in over a decade after prior losing runs for council, mayor, and treasurer
  • ditasyamane.com (opens in a new tab)Ditas Yamane's own re-election campaign site
  • cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS — filer/committee search: an ACTIVE 2026 committee for Ditas Yamane ("Yamane Council 2026; Re-Elect Ditas," Filer #1486832) and for Edward Nieto ("Nieto for National City Council 2026; Ed," Filer #1487658), neither with an e-filed Form 460/461/450 this cycle as of retrieval; Jerry Cano carries only terminated committees from 2012 and 2016 council runs, no 2026 committee found

Last updated August 31, 2026.