Review note: No cited source describes the candidates; add descriptive coverage to lift the cap.
- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters -- Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 -- City of Rancho Santa Margarita section (pages 168-171 of 188): confirms City Council District 1 (2 qualified candidates), District 2 (3), and District 4 (1, unopposed) as the city's three November 2026 races, each Vote for 1, with every candidate's filed ballot designation and filing dates
- cityofrsm.org (opens in a new tab)City of Rancho Santa Margarita -- Mayor/City Council page: the sitting council roster (Mayor L. Anthony Beall, Mayor Pro Tem Anne D. Figueroa, Council Members Keri Lynn Baert, Jerry Holloway, Bradley J. McGirr) -- confirms the city directly, citywide elects a separate Mayor seat (not up in 2026) and independently corroborates Figueroa's and McGirr's current council service
- cityofrsm.org (opens in a new tab)City of Rancho Santa Margarita -- Election Information page: confirms the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election fills City Council Districts 1, 2, and 4 (each a 4-year term), lists the candidates by district, and notes District 4's single nominee (Brad McGirr) is elected without opposition
- cityofrsm.org (opens in a new tab)City of Rancho Santa Margarita -- Planning Commission page: confirms Josh Bastian as the sitting Vice Chair (resident since 2005), corroborating his District 1 ballot designation ("Planning Commissioner, City of Rancho Santa Margarita")
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, District 1
This person holds your district's seat on Rancho Santa Margarita's five-member City Council. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs daily operations. Rancho Santa Margarita directly elects its Mayor citywide, currently L. Anthony Beall. His term is not up in 2026. There is no mayoral race this cycle. Not all four council districts are elected the same year. District 3, held by Keri Lynn Baert, is not up in 2026. Only Districts 1, 2, and 4 have terms expiring. The term is four years.
Two candidates are running for an open seat here. They are Josh Bastian and Nicholas Reese. The seat is Rancho Santa Margarita City Council District 1. No incumbent is on the ballot. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins. There is no runoff.
This person holds District 1's seat on Rancho Santa Margarita's 5-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Unlike some of its general-law neighbors, Rancho Santa Margarita directly, citywide elects its Mayor (currently L. Anthony Beall) on a separate ballot line -- his term isn't up in 2026, so there's no mayoral contest this cycle. Not all four council districts are elected the same year -- District 3 (Keri Lynn Baert) isn't up in 2026; only Districts 1, 2, and 4 have terms expiring. The term is four years.
This is the only one of the city's three 2026 council races with no incumbent-linked candidate on either side: neither filer's ballot designation identifies them as a sitting councilmember, and no source found in this pass names a prior officeholder for this specific seat. The city's own Planning Commission page independently confirms Bastian currently serves as the commission's Vice Chair, corroborating their filed occupation. No comparable independent detail was found for Reese despite a real search effort.
Josh Bastian
Josh Bastian's ballot title is "Planning Commissioner, City of Rancho Santa Margarita." The city's own roster confirms they are the commission's Vice Chair. They have lived there since 2005. They already sit on the body that reviews land use and development decisions. That body acts before those decisions reach the City Council. No campaign site, news story, or other source on their platform was found.
Nicholas Reese
Nicholas Reese's ballot title is "Financial Operations Manager." No campaign site or news story about them was found. No other source on their background or platform was found.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.