# Rosemead City Council

Compare records and positions simply between Sandra Armenta, Diana Lam, Steven Ly, or John Tran for Rosemead City Council at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. This person would hold one of three seats up this cycle. The seats are at-large on Rosemead's City Council. The council has five members total. They vote on the city budget, zoning, land use, and city laws. The term is four years. The council does not elect its mayor directly. Members choose one of their own to lead each year. An appointed city manager runs daily operations.

- Jurisdiction: City of Rosemead
- Election: November 3, 2026 California general election
- Seats: 3
- Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements.
- Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/rosemead-council
- 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: 92 out of 100 (Very strong), across 17 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology

## On the ballot

- **Sandra Armenta** — Incumbent
- **Diana Lam**
- **Steven Ly** — Incumbent
- **John Tran**

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

Four candidates are running for three of Rosemead's five at-large City Council seats on November 3, 2026: incumbent Mayor Sandra Armenta and incumbent Councilmember Steven Ly, each seeking another term, against two challengers -- Diana Lam and John Tran. It's a single-round, vote-for-three race with no primary and no runoff; the three highest vote-getters win outright.

Whoever wins serves a 4-year term on a 5-member council that sets Rosemead's budget, zoning and land-use rules, and city ordinances for a San Gabriel Valley city of roughly 51,000 people. The council doesn't elect its own mayor directly -- members choose one of their own to preside for a year, and day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager, so the job is one vote among five, not an executive post.

With three of five seats up and no districts, this is close to a citywide referendum on the sitting council. The third incumbent whose term expires this cycle, Margaret Clark -- on the council since 1991 and seven times its Mayor -- did not file for another term, so at least one seat changes hands no matter how anyone votes. Weigh whether you want both returning incumbents back, a mix with the open seat, or a clean break to the two challengers.

## Sandra Armenta

Sandra Armenta is Rosemead's sitting Mayor, first elected to the council in March 2009 and now seeking another term. By day she's a district representative for state Senator Susan Rubio, after more than two decades as a special-education and general-education teacher. In 2024 she ran herself for the open 25th State Senate District and finished fourth of five in the primary, with 9.5% of the vote.

**Strengths:** Since 2009 on the council and now its Mayor, she brings the deepest institutional record of any of the four candidates, plus a day job as a sitting state senator's district representative.

**Trade-offs:** A 2024 run for the state Senate seat ended fourth of five in the primary, and her nearly two decades on the council is also the case some challengers make for turnover.

**Keep in mind:** She's one of two incumbents on this ballot; the third, 35-year council veteran Margaret Clark, did not file for another term, guaranteeing at least one open seat regardless of how anyone votes.

## Diana Lam

Diana Lam is a career education manager challenging for one of three at-large council seats, running on a platform they call "Renew Rosemead." They have not previously held elected office, per the city's own candidate filing. Their campaign centers on streamlining City Hall services, multilingual outreach, and investment along Garvey Avenue and Valley Boulevard.

**Strengths:** A platform built on specific, checkable promises -- faster permitting, multilingual outreach, investment on the city's two main commercial corridors -- gives voters a standard to hold them to.

**Trade-offs:** No prior elected or appointed office means no voting record to weigh against those promises, and no independent news coverage of their candidacy has surfaced as of this retrieval.

**Keep in mind:** Their professional background beyond "career education manager," as self-described on the city's official candidate list and their own campaign site, has not been independently verified.

## Steven Ly

Steven Ly is a sitting Rosemead councilmember and U.S. Army Reserve captain, first elected in March 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2022. He served as the city's youngest-ever Mayor at age 26, in 2011, and today works as a taxpayer advocate for the San Diego County Assessor's office. He has deployed with the Army Reserve to the Middle East in support of Operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve.

**Strengths:** Four terms and a stint as the city's youngest-ever Mayor give him the longest unbroken elected record in this race, backed by a UCLA policy degree and Army officer training.

**Trade-offs:** A military deployment took him on leave from the dais in 2022, per local news coverage -- voters weighing hands-on availability during a term should note that history.

**Keep in mind:** Sixteen years on a five-member council is also a vote on continuity: he's part of the sitting majority whose direction some challengers in this race are running against.

## John Tran

John Tran is a Rosemead Traffic Commissioner and business owner who previously served as Mayor and a councilmember after his first election in 2005. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge, and in 2013 to attempted witness tampering and lying to the FBI in that same case. He tried to return to the council in a 2018 special election but was found ineligible; the city's own list confirms he qualifies for this November's ballot.

**Strengths:** Prior council and mayoral experience, plus a current seat on the city's Traffic Commission since mid-2025, give him more direct, current familiarity with city government than either challenger.

**Trade-offs:** A 2012 federal bribery guilty plea and a 2013 conviction for attempted witness tampering and lying to the FBI, in that same case, are the most consequential facts in this race.

**Keep in mind:** He tried to return to the council in a 2018 special election and was found ineligible to run, per contemporary news coverage; the city's own list confirms he qualifies for this ballot.

## Review notes

- Diana Lam for Rosemead City Council (own campaign site: "Renew Rosemead" platform -- streamlined City Hall services, multilingual outreach, investment on Garvey Ave. and Valley Blvd., historic preservation) may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

## Sources

1. [City of Rosemead — Elections (General Municipal Election, Nov. 3, 2026: three City Council seats, full 4-year terms; nomination period July 13 - Aug. 7, 2026; extended non-incumbent filing window Aug. 10-12, 2026 per Elections Code Sec. 10225, noted because an incumbent did not file by the deadline)](https://www.cityofrosemead.org/services/city_clerk/elections.php)
2. [City of Rosemead — Official Candidates for Rosemead General Municipal Election, November 3, 2026 (four candidates for three City Council offices: Sandra Armenta, Diana Lam, Steven Ly, John Tran; letterhead lists the sitting council — Mayor Sandra Armenta, Mayor Pro Tem Polly Low, Council Members Margaret Clark, Sean Dang, Steven Ly)](https://www.cityofrosemead.org/Documents/Departments/City%20Clerk/Elections/11-03-26%20General%20Municipal%20Election/Official%20Candidates%20for%20November%203%2C%202026%20Election%20Notice%20-%20ENG.pdf?t=202608182001470)
3. [City of Rosemead — City Council (roster with term-end years: Sandra Armenta, Mayor, term ends 2026; Polly Low, Mayor Pro Tem, term ends 2028; Margaret Clark, Council Member, term ends 2026; Sean Dang, Council Member, term ends 2028; Steven Ly, Council Member, term ends 2026 — confirming which three seats are up this cycle)](https://www.cityofrosemead.org/city_hall/city_council/index.php)
4. [City of Rosemead — Council Member Sandra Armenta, official bio (40+ year Rosemead resident, elected to the City Council in March 2009, former Special Education and General Education teacher for over 21 years)](https://rosemeadca.gov/business_detail_T21_R305.php)
5. [City of Rosemead — Council Member Steven Ly, official bio (elected March 2009, re-elected March 2013/2017/2022; Mayor in 2011-12 at age 26, the city's youngest; Captain, U.S. Army Reserve, Engineer regiment, deployed to the Middle East for Operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve; Taxpayer Advocate for the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk; UCLA B.A., Political Science)](https://rosemeadca.gov/business_detail_T21_R312.php)
6. [City of Rosemead — Council Member Margaret Clark, official bio (on the council since March 1991, including seven terms as Mayor; not on the November 2026 candidate list for the seat she currently holds)](https://rosemeadca.gov/business_detail_T21_R303.php)
7. [City of Rosemead — Traffic Commission roster (John Tran, Commissioner, July 2025 - June 2027)](https://www.cityofrosemead.org/city_hall/boards_commissions/traffic_commission.php)
8. [California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) — Armenta for City Council 2026; Sandra (Filer ID 1491477): active committee, no Form 460/461/450 electronically filed for this election cycle as of this retrieval, no late or $5,000+ contributions on file](https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1491477&session=2025)
9. [California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) — Ly for Rosemead City Council 2026; Steven (Filer ID 1492520): active committee, no Form 460/461/450 electronically filed for this election cycle as of this retrieval, no late or $5,000+ contributions on file](https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1492520&session=2025)
10. [California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) — Lam for Rosemead City Council 2026; Diana (Filer ID 1492985): active committee, no Form 460/461/450 electronically filed for this election cycle as of this retrieval, no late or $5,000+ contributions on file](https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1492985&session=2025)
11. [California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) — filer search for "Tran for Rosemead": no results, confirming no state campaign committee is on file for John Tran's 2026 candidacy as of this retrieval](https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Misc/filerSearch.aspx?SEARCH=Tran%20for%20Rosemead)
12. [Los Angeles Times — Ex-mayor of Rosemead admits guilt in bribery case (John Tran, then an El Monte Union High School District board member and former Rosemead mayor and councilman, pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge involving a developer)](https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-feb-04-la-me-0204-bribery-20120204-story.html)
13. [San Gabriel Valley Tribune — Rosemead ex-mayor John Tran, guilty of attempted witness tampering and lying to FBI, tried to run for City Council again (Tran pleaded guilty in 2013 to federal attempted witness tampering and making a false statement to the FBI; in Aug. 2018 he filed to run in a special election for a vacated council seat but was found ineligible)](https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/08/23/rosemead-ex-mayor-john-tran-guilty-of-attempted-witness-tampering-and-lying-to-fbi-tried-to-run-for-city-council-again/)
14. [Los Angeles Daily News — Election 2024: Semi-final results in for LA County state Senate seats (lists Sandra Armenta among the Democratic candidates for the 25th State Senate District primary)](https://www.dailynews.com/2024/03/05/election-2024-la-county-state-senate-seats-up-for-grabs-in-super-tuesday-results/)
15. [Rafu Shimpo — AAPI Candidates Elected to State Senate, Assembly (2024 roundup of Asian American state legislative races, naming the 25th State Senate District primary field Sandra Armenta ran in)](https://rafu.com/2024/12/aapi-candidates-elected-to-state-senate-assembly/)
16. [Ballotpedia — Sandra Armenta (ran for California State Senate District 25 in 2024; finished fourth of five candidates in the March 5, 2024 nonpartisan primary with 9.5% of the vote, 19,486 votes)](https://ballotpedia.org/Sandra_Armenta)
17. [Diana Lam for Rosemead City Council (own campaign site: 'Renew Rosemead' platform — streamlined City Hall services, multilingual outreach, investment on Garvey Ave. and Valley Blvd., historic preservation)](https://www.votedianalam.com/)

## The rest of the ballot

Rosemead City Council 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, "Rosemead City Council — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/rosemead-council (sources last retrieved August 31, 2026).

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