# Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, District 2 Compare records and positions simply between Rod Ganjifard, Natalie Guse, and 1 more for Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, District 2 at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. 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. - Jurisdiction: City of Rancho Santa Margarita - Election: November 3, 2026 California general election - Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements. - Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/rancho-santa-margarita-council-2 - Full ballot: this page covers one race. Every contest on a voter's own ballot, by address, with the same breakdown for each: https://voteorelse.com/ - Sources last retrieved: August 31, 2026 - Source-objectivity score: 74 out of 100 (Mixed), across 3 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology ## On the ballot - **Rod Ganjifard** — Technology Executive - **Natalie Guse** — Businesswoman/Mother/Entrepreneur - **Anne Figueroa** — Councilmember, City of Rancho Santa Margarita · Incumbent A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot. Three candidates are running for Rancho Santa Margarita City Council District 2: Rod Ganjifard, Natalie Guse, and Anne Figueroa, the city's sitting Mayor Pro Tem. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright; there's no runoff. This person holds District 2'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. The city's own City Council page independently confirms Anne Figueroa as the sitting Mayor Pro Tem, corroborating their ballot designation ("Councilmember, City of Rancho Santa Margarita") -- though the county's own Contest/Candidate Proof List lists this contest's incumbent-of-record field as "No Incumbent Elected" rather than naming them directly. Beyond each candidate's own filed occupation, no campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source could be found for Ganjifard or Guse despite a real search effort -- documented below as a gap, not filled in with speculation. ## Rod Ganjifard Filed their candidacy under the ballot designation "Technology Executive." No campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source describing their background or platform could be found in this pass despite a real search effort. **Strengths:** A technology-executive background suggests operational and management experience relevant to running a city department. **Trade-offs:** No campaign statement or platform was found in this pass, so voters have no confirmed sense of Ganjifard's priorities beyond their listed occupation. **Keep in mind:** No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for their campaign in this pass -- see Financial info. ## Natalie Guse Filed their candidacy under the ballot designation "Businesswoman/Mother/Entrepreneur." No campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source describing their background or platform could be found in this pass despite a real search effort. **Strengths:** A small-business and entrepreneurial background suggests direct familiarity with the local economy and regulatory environment. **Trade-offs:** No campaign statement or platform was found in this pass, so voters have no confirmed sense of Guse's priorities beyond their listed occupation. **Keep in mind:** No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for their campaign in this pass -- see Financial info. ## Anne Figueroa Filed their candidacy under the ballot designation "Councilmember, City of Rancho Santa Margarita." The city's own Mayor/City Council page independently confirms Figueroa currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem -- meaning they already sit on the council and hold one of its two officer titles, even though the county's own Proof List lists this contest's incumbent field as "No Incumbent Elected." No campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source describing their platform could be found in this pass despite a real search effort. **Strengths:** Currently the city's Mayor Pro Tem, giving Figueroa direct experience with the council's own internal officer role. **Trade-offs:** No campaign platform was found in this pass beyond their sitting role; no source established when they were first elected. **Keep in mind:** No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for their campaign in this pass -- see Financial info. ## Review notes - No cited source describes the candidates; add descriptive coverage to lift the cap. ## Sources 1. [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](https://ocvote.gov/fileadmin/user_upload/data/candlog/GEN2026/candlog.pdf) 2. [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](https://www.cityofrsm.org/160/Mayor-City-Council) 3. [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](https://www.cityofrsm.org/165/Election-Information) ## The rest of the ballot Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, District 2 is one contest among the many a California voter decides on November 3, 2026 — Congress, the Legislature, county, city, and school board races differ by address. Vote or Else builds the full list for any California address and breaks down each contest the way this page does, with no account and without storing the address: https://voteorelse.com/ ## How to cite this page Vote or Else, "Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, District 2 — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/rancho-santa-margarita-council-2 (sources last retrieved August 31, 2026). Link the canonical page above rather than this Markdown file. Coverage is updated as the race develops, so quote it with its retrieval date.