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City of Santee · Statewide General Election

Santee City Council, District 2

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 holds your district's seat on Santee's 5-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected Mayor: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, with day-to-day operations run by an appointed city manager. A 4-year term.

Incumbent Ronn Hall faces challenger Eddie Vandiver for Santee City Council, District 2. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright; there's no runoff.

This person holds District 2's seat on Santee's 5-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected Mayor: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, with day-to-day operations run by an appointed city manager. A 4-year term.

East County Magazine calls this the more competitive of Santee's two races. Hall, first elected in 2014 and unopposed in 2022, is seeking a third full term on a record of institutional experience and a long endorsement list; Vandiver, a local sports-facility executive and the father of school-aged children, argues Hall has grown complacent and that no one currently on the council has kids in Santee's schools. The two also split on the 1% sales-tax measure on this same ballot (data-only in this dataset) -- Hall cast the council's lone vote against putting it before voters, while Vandiver says he supports it, framing his objection as being about giving voters the choice rather than the tax itself.

Ronn Hall

The incumbent and current Vice Mayor, first elected in 2014, reelected in 2018, and unopposed for reelection in 2022. A native San Diego County resident, Hall has owned and operated an insurance and notary business for more than 39 years. He and his wife Virginia, a retired nurse, realtor, and elected member of the Grossmont Healthcare District board, live in northeast Santee. He's a past Santee Chamber of Commerce president, a Rotarian who helped launch the Santee Street Fair, and currently serves on the MTS Board, the East County Economic Development Council, SLEMSA (the local emergency medical services agency), and the Santee Homeless Working Group. His own filed candidate statement leads with public safety, cites the Deputy Sheriff's Association's endorsement, and lists a balanced budget, street paving, and reducing homelessness as priorities. East County Magazine's reporting adds that he wants a fourth term to finish work on affordable housing and a park near The Barn and the county's women's jail on Magnolia Avenue, that he's grown skeptical of the 3,000-unit Fanita Ranch development's current site-safety design (while saying it's still preferable to having the state dictate what gets built there), and that he cast the sole council vote against putting the sales-tax increase on this ballot, arguing the city should tighten its budgeting first.

Strengths

12 years of council experience, a wide-ranging list of regional board seats, and an extensive endorsement roster including the Deputy Sheriffs' Association and Rep. Darrell Issa.

Trade-offs

Vandiver argues Hall's decade-plus in office hasn't finished signature projects like affordable housing near The Barn -- a direct, named challenge to his record.

Keep in mind

Cal-Access shows an ACTIVE 2026 committee; East County Magazine reports $18,587 raised, almost entirely from a personal loan -- see Financial info.

Eddie Vandiver

President and General Manager of Sportsplex USA of Santee, a privately operated multi-field sports complex near Town Center Community Park that draws more than 400,000 guests a year, per his own account to East County Magazine. In his own filed candidate statement, Vandiver says he's lived and worked in Santee for 25 years and been active with the Chamber of Commerce for 16, and lists public safety, parks and infrastructure, responsible spending, and government transparency as his priorities; he's endorsed by the Santee Firefighters Association and the Santee Mobilehome Owners Action Committee. East County Magazine's reporting adds more specific platform detail: Vandiver, the father of two school-aged children, argues Santee's council currently has no one with kids in local schools and that it's grown "a little out of touch" as a result; he wants more sidewalks for children walking to school, closer city partnership with youth sports organizations, Mast Boulevard opened for more efficient access to Lakeside, and a new fire station in the city's northeast. On the long-contested Fanita Ranch project he says he supports a well-designed development if it can be built safely and at a pace that doesn't overwhelm traffic. He supports the sales-tax increase Hall opposed, saying voters deserve the chance to decide for themselves.

Strengths

A different professional lens than Hall's -- running a large local sports and recreation business -- plus a direct pitch to families with school-aged kids.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed government experience; a first-time candidate's platform is a set of stated priorities rather than a governing record.

Keep in mind

Cal-Access shows an ACTIVE 2026 committee; East County Magazine reports $37,275 raised (including a $12,000 personal loan) and just over $20,000 spent as of its most recent reporting period -- see Financial info.

Source review: Very strong (93/100) · 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
  • 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 -- Vice Mayor Ronn Hall biography page: native San Diego County resident; insurance and notary business owner for over 39 years; elected 2014, reelected 2018, unopposed in 2022; past Chamber of Commerce president and Rotarian; serves on the MTS Board, ECEDC, SLEMSA, and the Santee Homeless Working Group; wife Virginia is an elected Grossmont Healthcare District board member
  • cityofsanteeca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Santee -- Ronn Hall's filed Candidate's Statement of Qualifications, Nov. 3, 2026 election (occupation: Insurance; filed 7/20/2026): leads with public safety and cites the Deputy Sheriff's Association's endorsement, plus a balanced budget, paving, and reducing homelessness as priorities
  • cityofsanteeca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Santee -- Eddie (Edward Warren) Vandiver Jr.'s filed Candidate's Statement of Qualifications, Nov. 3, 2026 election (occupation: President/General Manager of Sportsplex USA of Santee, Inc.; filed 7/29/2026): 25 years living and working in Santee, 16 years active with the Chamber of Commerce; priorities are public safety, parks and infrastructure, responsible spending, and transparency; cites Santee Firefighters Association and Santee Mobilehome Owners Action Committee endorsements
  • cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CAL-ACCESS filer search for "Ronn Hall": an ACTIVE "Hall for Santee City Council District 2 2026; Ronn" committee, alongside TERMINATED committees from his 2014, 2018, and 2022 council runs and a 2010 Padre Dam Municipal Water District race; as of this retrieval the 2026 committee had not electronically filed a Form 460/461/450 for the cycle
  • cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CAL-ACCESS filer search for "Vandiver": an ACTIVE "Vandiver for Santee City Council 2026" committee; as of this retrieval it had not electronically filed a Form 460/461/450 for the cycle

Last updated August 31, 2026.