Review note: Anain Robles for Palmdale City Council and Franzelle Johnson Jr. for Palmdale City Council District 3 may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- cityofpalmdaleca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Palmdale City Clerk — 2026 City Council Final Candidate List
- avpress.com (opens in a new tab)Antelope Valley Press — "Alarcón won't run to keep council seat" (Aug. 8, 2026, updated Aug. 11, 2026)
- cityofpalmdaleca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Palmdale — Councilmember Laura Bettencourt (official biography)
- votezelle.com (opens in a new tab)Franzelle Johnson Jr. for Palmdale City Council District 3 — campaign site
- facebook.com (opens in a new tab)Anain Robles for Palmdale City Council — campaign Facebook page
- cityofpalmdaleca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Palmdale — City Elections (nomination timeline, District 5 incumbent non-filing notice)
- ssl.netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of Palmdale — Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure (NetFile)
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Palmdale
Palmdale City Council, District 3
This person holds your district's seat on Palmdale's 5-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. The term is four years.
Five candidates are running for the District 3 seat on Palmdale's City Council. Incumbent Laura Bettencourt faces four challengers. They are Carlos Cordero, Jeremiah Farrell, Franzelle Johnson Jr., and Anain Robles. Palmdale elects its council by district each November, with no primary.
Council seats carry 4-year terms. The winner joins four other district representatives as one of five votes on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, with day-to-day operations run by an appointed city manager rather than any single elected official.
With an incumbent on the ballot, the practical choice is whether Bettencourt's 17-year record on the council outweighs what a challenger specifically offers. That varies a lot by challenger here: Johnson has published a detailed platform, Robles names a few themes, and two of the four challengers have no public record at all to weigh.
Laura Bettencourt
Laura Bettencourt is the incumbent, first elected in 2009 and reelected most recently in 2018. She has worked 22 years as an analyst for the LA County Sheriff's Department. The council named her Mayor Pro Tem on January 1, 2025.
Franzelle Johnson Jr.
Franzelle Johnson Jr. is a small business owner and Palmdale resident of 12 years. They want to require hiring by subsidized developers and stabilize rents for older housing. They have the most detailed published platform of any District 3 candidate.
Anain Robles
Anain Robles is a small business owner and founder of Almas Mexicanas, a community organization. Their campaign focuses on local businesses, youth, and community events. No independent news coverage of their campaign has been found.
Carlos Cordero
Carlos Cordero is one of five candidates on the District 3 ballot. No campaign platform or biography has been found for Cordero as of Aug. 31, 2026. They filed their nomination papers on Aug. 6, 2026, one day before the deadline.
Jeremiah Farrell
Jeremiah Farrell is one of five candidates on the District 3 ballot. No campaign platform or biography has been found for Farrell as of Aug. 31, 2026. They filed their nomination papers on Aug. 3, 2026, the earliest of the four challengers.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.