Review note: oakdalefirst.com -- joint campaign site for Council candidates Christopher Chavez and Fred Smith: describes them as fellow "conservative" candidates for "fiscal discipline," "public safety," and "putting residents first"; does not give either candidate's occupation or professional background beyond their filed "Business Owner" ballot designation may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

stanvote.gov (opens in a new tab)Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters -- official "Unofficial Candidate List," General Election Nov. 3, 2026 (document timestamped by the county 7:57 AM 8/31/2026): under "CITY OF OAKDALE," lists exactly two contests -- MAYOR (Vote for 1: *Cherilyn Bairos) and COUNCIL MEMBER (Vote for 2: Sal Hernandez, Christopher Chavez, Benjamin Amaral, Fred Smith, Mary Buchanan, *Kayleigh Gilbert) -- with no district qualifiers on either office.
drive.google.com (opens in a new tab)City of Oakdale -- official "Notice of Election" (signed by Deputy City Clerk Colleen Andersen, published in the Oakdale Leader 7/1/2026): confirms "One (1) Mayor for the full term of four (4) years" and "Two (2) Council Member for the full term of four (4) years," with a nomination period of July 13-Aug. 7, 2026 (extended to Aug. 12 for any office an incumbent didn't file for); carries standard EC Section 10229 appointment-in-lieu-of-election boilerplate, not invoked for either office as of the county's later, post-deadline candidate list.
drive.google.com (opens in a new tab)City of Oakdale -- own "2026 Mayor & City Council Candidates" document (self-submitted candidate photos and contact emails): independently names the identical 7-candidate field as the county's list -- Cherilyn Bairos for Mayor; Sal Hernandez, Christopher Chavez, Benjamin Amaral, Mary Buchanan, Fred Smith, and Kayleigh Gilbert for Council Member.
oakdalegov.com (opens in a new tab)City of Oakdale -- own "City Council" page: states Oakdale is a "full service General Law City" using the "Council-Manager form of government," with "the Mayor and four City Council members ... elected at large to four years terms" -- confirming no council districts exist.
oakdalegov.com (opens in a new tab)City of Oakdale -- own "Elected Officials" page: gives exact term-seated/expiring dates -- Mayor Cherilyn Bairos (seated 12/14/2022, term expires 2026), Mayor Pro Tem Kayleigh Gilbert (seated 12/14/2022, term expires 2026), Council Member Richard Murdoch (seated 11/12/2025, term expires 2026), and Council Members Jarod Pitassi and Jeff Kettering (both seated 12/9/2024, term expires 2028, not up this cycle); Murdoch is not on the 2026 candidate list and so is not seeking to keep his seat.
en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- Oakdale, California: confirms Stanislaus County, a 2020 Census population of 23,181, and the city's "Cowboy Capital of the World" nickname -- cited only for this general/demographic detail, not for any candidate or council-roster claim.
oakdalefirst.com (opens in a new tab)oakdalefirst.com -- joint campaign site for Council candidates Christopher Chavez and Fred Smith: describes them as fellow "conservative" candidates for "fiscal discipline," "public safety," and "putting residents first," opposing closed-door decision-making and "unnecessary rate and tax increases"; does not give either candidate's occupation or professional background beyond their filed "Business Owner" ballot designation.
oakdalegov.com (opens in a new tab)City of Oakdale -- own "FPPC Statements and Reports" page: posts each officeholder's filed FPPC forms directly as PDFs, no NetFile portal or CAPTCHA gate. Of the 7 2026 candidates, only Mayor Bairos has any 2026-cycle filing posted; incumbent Kayleigh Gilbert's only filings are Form 470s from the 2022 cycle, and none of the other 5 candidates has any filing at all -- a documented, dated absence (California's first 2026 pre-election Form 460 isn't due until early October), not a claim about anyone's finances.

Last updated September 1, 2026.

City of Oakdale

Oakdale City Council

This person would hold one of Oakdale's two open City Council seats. Members vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. Oakdale elects its Mayor and four council members at-large, citywide. All serve four-year terms, and two of four seats are up this year.

Six candidates are running for Oakdale's two open City Council seats. Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Kayleigh Gilbert faces five challengers. The challengers are Sal Hernandez, Christopher Chavez, Benjamin Amaral, Fred Smith, and Mary Buchanan. The two candidates with the most votes win the seats. There is no runoff.

Oakdale's City Council sets city ordinances, the budget, and land use for Stanislaus County's self-styled "Cowboy Capital of the World," population 23,181 per the 2020 Census. Oakdale is a general-law, council-manager city: the Mayor and all four councilmembers are elected at-large citywide, not by district, each to a 4-year term. Day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager, not the council directly.

Two of the council's four seats are up this cycle. A third seat with a 2026 term expiration, held by Richard Murdoch, is not on this ballot at all -- Murdoch's name doesn't appear on either the county's or the city's own 2026 candidate list, meaning he isn't seeking to keep it, though no source found in this pass explains why. The other two council seats (Jarod Pitassi and Jeff Kettering) aren't up again until 2028.

Sal Hernandez

Sal Hernandez is running for one of Oakdale's two open council seats. Their ballot title is Correctional Officer. No news profile, campaign website, or civic board record was found beyond their filing.

Christopher Chavez

Christopher Chavez is running for one of Oakdale's two open council seats. Their ballot title is Business Owner. Chavez and fellow candidate Fred Smith run a joint campaign site called oakdalefirst.com. The site calls them "conservative" candidates for "fiscal discipline," "public safety," and "putting residents first." It opposes closed door decision making and "unnecessary rate and tax increases." It also pledges to protect Oakdale's "strong values, family roots, and small-town character."

Benjamin Amaral

Benjamin Amaral is running for one of Oakdale's two open council seats. Their ballot title is Security Officer. The city's candidate document lists no contact email for them. No news profile, campaign website, or civic board record was found beyond their filing.

Fred Smith

Fred Smith is running for one of Oakdale's two open council seats. Their ballot title is Business Owner. Smith and fellow candidate Christopher Chavez run a joint campaign site called oakdalefirst.com. The site calls them "conservative" candidates for "fiscal discipline," "public safety," and "putting residents first." It opposes closed door decision making and "unnecessary rate and tax increases." It also pledges to protect Oakdale's "strong values, family roots, and small-town character."

Mary Buchanan

Mary Buchanan is running for one of Oakdale's two open council seats. Their ballot title is Retired Sales Executive. No news profile, campaign website, or civic board record was found beyond their filing.

Kayleigh Gilbert

Kayleigh Gilbert is Oakdale's sitting Mayor Pro Tem. They were seated on the council on December 14, 2022. They are now running for another 4-year term. They are the only incumbent in this 6-candidate field. They have a "Kayleigh Gilbert for Oakdale City Council" page on Facebook confirming their run. Its content beyond that could not be read in this check. Their only filings on the city's disclosure page are from the 2022 election. Nothing has been posted yet for 2026.

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