Anaheim, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Anaheim Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

7 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

City Council District 2 · Unopposed

City Council District 3 · 1 seat

City Council District 6 · Unopposed

All Anaheim voters pick one candidate for mayor. Voters in District 2, 3 or 6 also pick one council member for their district. The top vote-getter wins each race; Districts 2 and 6 each have one candidate.

5 notes on these statements

Carlos A. Leon (District 2) and Natalie Meeks (District 6) are unopposed. Orange County Register · Aug 14, 2026

The Anaheim Municipal Employees Association lists Aitken, Leon, Rubalcava and Meeks as its endorsed candidates. Anaheim Municipal Employees Association

The Registrar's list of local measures on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot (Measures A through O) includes none from the City of Anaheim. Orange County Registrar of Voters

A draft self-checkout staffing ordinance was withdrawn from the June 9, 2026 agenda and may return later. Anaheim City Council action agenda, June 9, 2026 · Jun 9, 2026

Qualified write-in candidates may file between Sept. 7 and Oct. 20, 2026. City of Anaheim

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Ryan BaliusElected to the council in November 2024. Retired after 34 years with the city of Cerritos in parks and recreation and information technology; previously chaired Anaheim's Parks and Recreation Commission.8sourcedNorma Campos KurtzAppointed to the District 4 seat in 2023 and elected in 2024. Previously served on the Public Utilities Board and was district director for Assemblymember Tom Daly and state Sen. Joe Dunn.9sourcedKristen MaahsElected to the council in November 2024. Associate director of community outreach and advocacy at Alzheimer's Orange County; previously chaired Anaheim's Cultural and Heritage Commission.8sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesBudget and the resort bond payoff, Taxes on visitors, Housing growth and wildfire evacuationKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

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Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Budget and the resort bond payoff

Where it standsThe council unanimously adopted a 2026/27 budget that closed a roughly $42 million gap with parking-lot sale money and reserves.

What's on the tableHow to spend about $120 million a year that returns to the general fund once the 1997 resort bonds are paid off.

Taxes on visitors

Where it standsNo city tax measure is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot; the council set aside a theme park ticket and parking tax in 2025 and a rideshare tax in 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to ask voters for new visitor taxes, which need five of seven council votes to reach the ballot.

Housing growth and wildfire evacuation

Where it standsThe council approved 447 apartments at the Anaheim Hills Festival center 4-3 in March 2026 despite resident concerns about wildfire evacuation.

What's on the tableWhere Anaheim adds homes to meet state housing targets, and how much weight evacuation concerns get in the hills.

Angel Stadium's future

Where it standsA city assessment of the 60-year-old stadium's condition is now expected late in 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city approaches future lease talks with the Angels' new owner once the assessment is done.

Aid for families affected by immigration enforcement

Where it standsAnaheim Contigo gives emergency grants for rent, essentials and utilities to Anaheim families affected by federal immigration enforcement.

What's on the tableWhether to keep putting city money into the program.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Anaheim ask voters to approve a new tax aimed at visitors, such as a tax on theme park tickets?

  2. 2. Once the resort bonds are paid off, about $120 million a year returns to the general fund. What should come first?

  3. 3. Should the council approve large apartment projects in fire-prone Anaheim Hills, like the 447-unit Festival project?

  4. 4. What should Anaheim do next about city-owned Angel Stadium?

  5. 5. Should the city spend its own money on emergency grants for Anaheim families affected by immigration enforcement?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Ryan Balius, Norma Campos Kurtz, Kristen Maahs4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

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