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City of San Marcos · Statewide General Election

Mayor of San Marcos

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person presides over City Council meetings and represents San Marcos publicly, but votes as one of five members on the budget and city ordinances -- day-to-day government runs through an appointed city manager. San Marcos's mayor is the only council member elected citywide; the other four represent numbered districts. A 4-year term.

San Marcos's two mayoral candidates are former City Councilmember Sharon Jenkins and sitting Deputy Mayor Mike Sannella. This is an open seat -- incumbent Mayor Rebecca Jones is not seeking a third term. Whichever candidate receives the most votes on November 3 wins outright; there is no runoff.

The mayor presides over City Council meetings and represents San Marcos publicly, but votes as one of five members on the budget and city ordinances -- day-to-day government runs through an appointed city manager. San Marcos's mayor is the only council member elected citywide; the other four represent numbered districts. San Marcos is a Charter City, meaning its own charter (not just state law) governs how the council and elections work. A 4-year term.

The seat is open because Jones is instead running for the District 5 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Both mayoral candidates are already familiar faces at City Hall rather than outsiders: Jenkins spent 12 years on the council representing District 3 before being termed out at the end of 2024, and 14 years on the San Marcos Unified School District board before that. Sannella has served on the council since 2022, representing District 2, and currently holds the council-selected title of Deputy Mayor; he is giving up his District 2 seat to run for mayor rather than seeking re-election to it. Jenkins announced her campaign in August 2025; Sannella announced his in May 2025.

Sharon Jenkins

Sharon Jenkins served 12 years on the San Marcos City Council representing District 3, term-limited out at the end of 2024, and 14 years on the San Marcos Unified School District board before that. On the county's candidate list she gives her occupation as "Small Business Owner." On the council she was heavily involved in completing the Creek District redevelopment in her home district and in approving several landmark buildings, and she led the campaign for Measure Q, a local sales-tax measure that passed by a wide margin. She describes herself as an independent, bipartisan-minded decision-maker and says she's running "to ensure we continue to build a safe and strong San Marcos." She is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party.

Strengths

A dozen years on the council plus 14 years on the school board -- the broadest record of public service on this ballot, including a completed redevelopment district and a passed tax measure.

Trade-offs

Having termed out of her council seat less than two years ago, she is asking voters to return her to City Hall in a different role rather than offering a genuinely fresh perspective.

Keep in mind

She has an active mayoral committee with the city, including a Form 410 and Form 460 on file -- see Financial info.

Mike Sannella

Mike Sannella has represented District 2 on the San Marcos City Council since 2022 and currently holds the council-selected title of Deputy Mayor. Before that he served eight years on the Vallecitos Water District board, was a city Planning Commissioner, and was vice president of both the San Marcos Economic Development Corporation and San Diego County Crime Stoppers. He works in the defense and aeronautical industry and says he brings more than 20 years of business and risk-management experience to the role. He holds a bachelor's degree from Cal State San Marcos and is a graduate of CSUSM's Leadership North County program. His priorities include maintaining San Marcos's low crime rate, the city's project to rebuild San Marcos Boulevard for better traffic flow, and turning the broader San Marcos Boulevard area into what he calls a walkable arts-and-entertainment district.

Strengths

Current council experience, including the Deputy Mayor role, plus eight prior years on a special-district board -- direct familiarity with city government today, not just in the past.

Trade-offs

Fewer years in elected office than Jenkins (since 2022 versus her 2012-2024 run), and giving up his District 2 seat to run means that seat is also open this cycle.

Keep in mind

The city's NetFile portal shows a committee from his 2022 council run; whether he has filed a new 2026 mayoral committee was not confirmed in this pass -- see Financial info.

Source review: Very strong (92/100) · 8 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • sdvote.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego County Registrar of Voters -- Candidate List, November 3, 2026 General Election (current through the 8/24/2026 2:44pm snapshot): confirms Mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 3, City Clerk, and City Treasurer as Carlsbad's five November 2026 races, and Mayor plus City Council Districts 1 and 3 as Poway's three November 2026 races, each Vote for 1
  • sanmarcosca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of San Marcos -- City Council page: describes the city as "a Charter City governed by a five-member City Council consisting of an elected Mayor and four City Council Members"; carries the sitting officeholders' own official biographies, including Mayor Rebecca Jones's tenure and Council Member Maria Nunez's and Deputy Mayor Mike Sannella's district, first-elected date, and background
  • thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group (Leo Place) -- "Sharon Jenkins running for San Marcos mayor": announces her mayoral run after 12 years on the City Council (District 3, termed out end of 2024) and 14 years on the San Marcos Unified School District board; also reports the field of District 2 filers at that point, including Alison Stanton
  • thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group (Leo Place) -- "Election 2026: San Marcos City Council": detailed, quoted platform profiles of Sannella, Jenkins, Smith, Matsushita, and Nunez as of mid-May 2026 -- the descriptive backbone of this shard, though it predates Gabriele's District 1 filing and describes Nunez as running unopposed at that point
  • thecoastnews.com (opens in a new tab)The Coast News Group (staff) -- "Election 2026: A guide to North County races": for San Marcos, confirms the final three-race field, including Thomas Gabriele's later filing against Nunez in District 1 -- the correction to the May 2026 "unopposed" reporting; for Vista, corroborates Mayor Franklin's departure and his June 2026 County Supervisor District 5 primary loss, and the District 1/District 4 incumbents-vs-challengers framing, and names two additional mayoral filers, Gabriel Chance and Alexandra Garcia Guzman, not present on the county's own certified, post-deadline qualified candidate list -- treated as filed-but-not-qualified, not part of the November ballot
  • sandiegouniontribune.com (opens in a new tab)San Diego Union-Tribune (Paul Sisson) -- "Jones' supervisor run shakes up San Marcos city elections": confirms Mayor Jones is not seeking a third term because she is running for County Supervisor District 5, opening the mayor's race to Jenkins and Sannella; a search-result excerpt additionally identifies Thomas Gabriele as "an economics teacher at Saint Joseph Academy in San Marcos and technology entrepreneur" -- the article itself sits behind a paywall beyond its opening paragraphs
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of San Marcos -- NetFile public campaign-disclosure portal, committee list (first page of 28 entities, alphabetized): shows an active "Matsushita for City Council 2026" committee, a "Mike Sannella for San Marcos City Council 2022" committee from his prior council run, and an "Alison Stanton for San Marcos City Council 2026" committee for the District 2 filer who did not make the county's final candidate list; a second page covering filings under N-Z (which would carry any 2026-specific committees for Nunez, Gabriele, Smith, and a possible new Sannella mayoral committee) could not be reached before this browser session was interrupted
  • netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of San Marcos -- NetFile filing history for "Sharon Jenkins for Mayor 2026": a Form 410 Statement of Organization filed 8/10/2025 and a Form 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement (Original) filed 2/2/2026

Last updated August 31, 2026.