Review note: Michael Cacciotti -- own 2026 campaign site: Deputy Attorney General (CA DOJ, 2001-2020) and Deputy State Attorney (Caltrans, 1991-2001); South Coast AQMD Governing Board member since 2008 and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy advisory board member since 2001; endorsed by the South Pasadena Police Officers' Association and Nevin Stanton-Trehan -- own 2026 campaign site: father of two Marengo Elementary students, Executive Vice President of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Chair of the city's Finance Commission; platform pillars are public finance, infrastructure, walkability/bikeability, public safety, and parks/recreation (FPPC #1492901) may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- southpasadenaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena — City Clerk's Office, Elections page: confirms the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election is for two Council seats (Districts 4 and 5) plus City Treasurer, on a 5-member by-district council with staggered 4-year terms; nomination period July 13 - Aug. 7, 2026 (extended to Aug. 12 for non-incumbents)
- southpasadenaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena City Clerk's Office — "2026 List of Certified Candidates" (updated 8/14/2026): the official candidate-filing-status table naming, for City Council District 4, Michael Cacciotti (ballot designation "South Pasadena Councilmember", qualified 8/4/2026) and Nevin Stanton-Trehan (ballot designation "Nonprofit Executive/Father", qualified 7/30/2026); District 5 (Janet Braun) and City Treasurer (Zhen Tao) each show a single qualified candidate
- southpasadenaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena — "Notice That There Are Not More Candidates Than Officers to Be Elected," linked from the city's own Elections page, covering District 5 and City Treasurer (not District 4)
- netfile.com (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena's own NetFile campaign-finance public portal, Elections section for the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election: lists "Cacciotti, Michael" as the sole registered committee for the City Council - South Pasadena - 4 seat, and shows Cacciotti for City Council 2026's filing history (Form 501 and 410 filed 7/13/2026, Form 460 filed 8/4/2026 covering 1/1/2026-6/30/2026); Nevin Stanton-Trehan has no committee registered in this local system
- southpasadenan.com (opens in a new tab)The South Pasadenan — "August 19 Agenda | South Pasadena City Council Navigating License Plate Readers, Street Safety & Uncontested Election" (Aug. 14, 2026): reports the City Council is set to cancel the Nov. 3, 2026 election for District 5 and City Treasurer after Chief City Clerk Nikima S. Newsome certified those races uncontested; District 4 is not part of that cancellation
- southpasadenaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena — Your City Council page: confirms Michael Cacciotti holds the District 4 seat, first elected to the council in 2013
- southpasadenaca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of South Pasadena — Finance Commission page and 2026 meeting agendas/minutes: name Nevin Stanton-Trehan as the commission's Chair (term ends 12/31/2027), independent of his own campaign material
- michaelcacciotti.com (opens in a new tab)Michael Cacciotti — own 2026 campaign site: Deputy Attorney General (CA DOJ, 2001-2020) and Deputy State Attorney (Caltrans, 1991-2001); South Coast AQMD Governing Board member since 2008 and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy advisory board member since 2001; endorsed by the South Pasadena Police Officers' Association
- nevinstantontrehan.com (opens in a new tab)Nevin Stanton-Trehan — own 2026 campaign site: father of two Marengo Elementary students, Executive Vice President of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Chair of the city's Finance Commission; platform pillars are public finance, infrastructure, walkability/bikeability, public safety, and parks/recreation (FPPC #1492901)
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS — "CACCIOTTI FOR CITY COUNCIL 2026" (Filer #1359318, a renamed continuation of his 2013/2018/2022 committees), status ACTIVE; no Form 460/461/450 electronically filed with CAL-ACCESS for the 2025-2026 cycle as of this retrieval (a Form 460 covering 1/1/2026-6/30/2026 was filed with the city's own NetFile portal on 8/4/2026 — see sopas-netfile-elections-2026)
- cal-access.sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Secretary of State CAL-ACCESS — "STANTON-TREHAN FOR CITY COUNCIL 2026; NEVIN" (Filer #1492901), status ACTIVE; no Form 460/461/450 electronically filed with CAL-ACCESS for the 2025-2026 cycle as of this retrieval, and the committee does not appear in the city's own local NetFile candidate/committee directory
- southpasadenan.com (opens in a new tab)The South Pasadenan — "Decisive Victory | Council Member Michael Cacciotti" (Nov. 8, 2018): reports his re-election to the District 4 seat and lists endorsements from sitting council members at the time
Last updated August 31, 2026.
City of South Pasadena
South Pasadena City Council, District 4
This person holds your district's seat on South Pasadena's five-member City Council. They vote on the city budget, zoning, land use, and city laws. The council does not elect its Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem directly. Members choose two of their own for those ceremonial titles each year. An appointed city manager runs day-to-day operations.
South Pasadena elects its District 4 Council seat on November 3, 2026. Michael Cacciotti has held the seat since 2013. He faces Nevin Stanton-Trehan, who chairs the city's Finance Commission. District 5 and City Treasurer drew one candidate each, so those ballots were cancelled.
Each winner serves a 4-year term on South Pasadena's 5-member City Council. The council sets the city's budget, zoning and land-use rules, and municipal ordinances. The council does not elect its Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem directly. Members rotate those largely ceremonial titles among themselves each year. Day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager.
The choice comes down to continuity versus a first-time run. Cacciotti has represented the district since 2013 and brings a state legal and regulatory background. Stanton-Trehan has no prior elected office. They chair the city's own Finance Commission. Their campaign centers on public finance, infrastructure, and street safety.
Michael Cacciotti
Michael Cacciotti has held this District 4 seat since 2013. He is a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. He has sat on the South Coast Air Quality Management District board since 2008. A local police union has endorsed him.
Nevin Stanton-Trehan
Nevin Stanton-Trehan is a first-time candidate. They chair the city's Finance Commission. They are Executive Vice President of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. Their platform covers public finance, infrastructure, street safety, and parks.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.