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
cityofsanteeca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Santee -- Elections and How to Vote page: the Nov. 3, 2026 General Municipal Election fills one City Council seat each for Districts 1 and 2, each a 4-year term; lists each candidate's packet-issued, filed, and registrar-verified dates and ballot designation, and confirms the Mayor and Council Districts 3/4 aren't up again until Nov. 7, 2028
eastcountymagazine.org (opens in a new tab)East County Magazine (Mike Allen) -- "Two Santee City Council Seats, Tax Measure On Ballot": descriptive reporting with direct quotes from Ronn Hall and Eddie Vandiver on both races' candidates, backgrounds, platforms, endorsements, and Cal-Access fundraising totals; also covers the Fanita Ranch development and the Measure Y sales-tax question (data-only here per the 2026-07-31 ballot-measures scope change)
cityofsanteeca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Santee -- Councilmember Rob McNelis biography page: Santee resident since 1994; owner of One Stop Lending & Realty and One Stop Party Players, Inc. since 1997; 2004 Realtor of the Year, 2007 Santee Citizen of the Year, 2007 Small Business of the Year (77th Assembly District), 2010 "Five-Star Mortgage Professional"; past president of the San Diego Association of Mortgage Brokers, East San Diego County Association of Realtors, and Santee Chamber of Commerce
cityofsanteeca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Santee -- Rob McNelis's filed Candidate's Statement of Qualifications, Nov. 3, 2026 election (occupation: Mortgage Banker; filed 8/4/2026): cites his 2010 election, 2007 Citizen of the Year and 2010 "Five-Star Mortgage Professional" honors, and pledges to keep working with businesses, support public safety, and improve parks and roadways
ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia -- "Matthew Rascon": born San Diego, associate degree from Grossmont Community College (2017), career in security; ran for U.S. House CA-48 as a Democrat in 2022 (9.1% in the primary) and 2024 (2.2% in the primary, behind Stephen Houlahan and winner Darrell Issa), certified results for both races
cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CAL-ACCESS filer search for "McNelis": only a TERMINATED "McNelis for Council 2018; Rob" committee -- no ACTIVE 2026 committee found under his name
cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CAL-ACCESS filer search for "Rascon": the only 2026 result is "Rascon for State Senate 2026" (Sarah Rascon), an unrelated candidate -- no committee found under Matthew Rascon's name

Last updated September 7, 2026.

City of Santee

Santee City Council, District 1

This person holds your district's seat on Santee's City Council. The council has five members, plus a citywide elected Mayor. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. An appointed city manager runs day to day operations. The term is four years.

Incumbent Rob McNelis faces challenger Matthew Rascon for Santee City Council, District 1. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright. There is no runoff.

This person holds District 1's seat on Santee's 5-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected Mayor. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, with day-to-day operations run by an appointed city manager. The term is four years.

This is the more lopsided of Santee's two council races. McNelis is a 30-year local business owner with a long list of civic honors and no visible opposition campaign: East County Magazine reports Rascon filed no candidate statement, built no campaign website, and couldn't be reached for an interview. Rascon's public track record instead comes from two prior, unsuccessful runs for Congress.

Rob McNelis

Rob McNelis is the incumbent, first elected to the council in 2010. He pledges to work with local businesses, support public safety, and improve parks and roads. He has run local businesses in Santee since 1997 and won several local awards.

Matthew Rascon

Matthew Rascon is a security officer at Sycuan Casino with a degree in criminal justice. No campaign platform could be found for him. He ran for Congress in California's 48th District in 2022 and 2024, losing both times.

Your pick

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

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