- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters -- Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 -- City of Orange section (pages 138-142 of 188): confirms Mayor (2 qualified candidates), City Council District 1 (4 qualified of 5 filed), District 4 (1), and District 6 (1) as the city's four November 2026 races, each Vote for 1, with incumbent flags and every candidate's filed ballot designation
- en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia -- Orange, California: infobox confirms general-law incorporation (April 6, 1888), a council-manager government, a 6-member district city council, and the sitting officeholders by district, cited only for general civic-structure context, never for a candidate-specific claim
- voiceofoc.org (opens in a new tab)Voice of OC -- "Is Municipal Bankruptcy on the Horizon if Orange's Sales Tax Measure Fails?" (Jun 11, 2026): the city's 2026-27 budget, its structural deficit, the November sales-tax measure, and recorded council positions from Arianna Barrios, John Gyllenhammer, Denis Bilodeau, and Jon Dumitru
- voiceofoc.org (opens in a new tab)Voice of OC -- "Another Orange County City Eyes a Governing Charter" (Mar 16, 2026): Orange's draft charter proposal and new local taxes it would allow, with positions from Mayor Dan Slater, Councilmember Arianna Barrios, and Councilmember Kathy Tavoularis
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Orange
Mayor of Orange
This person presides over City Council meetings and represents Orange publicly. They vote as one of seven members on the budget and city laws. The council has six district members plus the mayor. An appointed city manager runs day-to-day government. Orange's mayor is the only council seat elected citywide. The term is four years.
Mayor Dan Slater is running for a second term. His opponent is Arianna Barrios, the sitting District 1 councilmember. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright. There is no runoff.
Orange's mayor is the only council seat elected citywide rather than by district. The mayor leads City Council meetings and speaks for the city in public. But the mayor is just one of seven votes on the budget and city ordinances. The other six are the district councilmembers. An appointed city manager runs the city day to day. The term is four years.
The backdrop to this race is a structural budget deficit. The city closed a $4.4 million shortfall in its 2026-27 budget. It did so only by cutting $6 million in vacant jobs and taking $15 million from reserves. A 1% sales tax increase is on the November ballot. Officials have warned the city could go bankrupt within two years if it fails. Slater and Barrios have taken different paths on city money this year. Slater backed a separate plan, a draft charter, and wants voters to decide it. The charter would let Orange set its own hotel, utility franchise, and parking garage taxes. Barrios has pushed the council to revisit the budget itself. She wants that instead of leaning on new revenue measures to close the gap.
Dan Slater
Dan Slater is the incumbent mayor. His ballot title is Orange Mayor and Businessman. The city's draft charter plan would raise an estimated $10 million a year. Those would be new local taxes. Slater says the council should let residents decide it. No other background was found for him.
Arianna Barrios
Arianna Barrios is the sitting District 1 councilmember, running for Mayor. Her ballot title is City Councilmember, City of Orange. She voted to put the city's sales tax measure on the November ballot. She pressed colleagues to revisit the budget if voters reject it. She is more skeptical of the charter plan than Slater. She says the roughly $10 million it would raise each year is not enough. No other background was found for her.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.