Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

El Monte 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

Jessica AnconaIncumbentJessica Ancona is El Monte's mayor and was first elected to the City Council in 2018. She served on the El Monte City School District Governing Board after first being elected in 2013.15sourced
Viviana Longoria13sourced
Christine SarmientoChristine Sarmiento is a public health nurse and operations manager who lives in El Monte.2sourced

City Council District 2 · Unopposed

Martin HerreraIncumbent12sourced

City Council District 3 · Unopposed

Julia RuedasIncumbentJulia Ruedas is an educator and policy analyst who has served four years on the El Monte City School Board.14sourced

City Council District 6 · 1 seat

All El Monte voters choose the mayor; only voters in Districts 2, 3 and 6 vote for a council member this year.

1 note on these statements

Martin Herrera (District 2) and Julia Ruedas (District 3) are the only candidates on the ballot for their seats. LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Final list of qualified candidates, Nov. 3, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Sheila Crippen-Thomas10sourced Cindy GalvanCouncilmember, District 5; term expires November 202810sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz4 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesElected mayor, Data centers, Immigration enforcement Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed by the county

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Elected mayor

Where it standsIn January 2026 the council began outreach on ending the directly elected mayor, clerk and treasurer; in February it tabled the clerk and treasurer measure indefinitely.

What's on the tableWhether to bring back a ballot measure changing how El Monte chooses its mayor.

On Jan. 14, 2026, the council voted 5-2 to start community outreach and plan ballot measures to eliminate the elected mayor, city clerk and city treasurer. El Monte City Council minutes, Jan. 14, 2026 · Jan 14, 2026
On Feb. 25, 2026, the council voted 7-0 to table indefinitely a June 2026 ballot measure making the city clerk and city treasurer appointed. El Monte City Council minutes, Feb. 25, 2026 · Feb 25, 2026
The city's survey ran Feb. 9-21 and collected a minimum of 450 responses, at least 75 per district, according to its consultant. San Gabriel Valley Tribune · Feb 26, 2026

Data centers

Where it standsA moratorium on new data center land use applications, adopted in March 2026, was extended in April by 10 months and 15 days.

What's on the tableWhat permanent rules, if any, El Monte sets for data centers before the moratorium ends.

On Mar. 18, 2026, the council voted 7-0 for a 45-day moratorium on new data center land use applications. El Monte City Council minutes, Mar. 18, 2026 (special meeting) · Mar 18, 2026
The council also formed an ad hoc committee of Viviana Longoria, Marisol Cortez and Julia Ruedas to study data center impacts. El Monte City Council minutes, Mar. 18, 2026 (adjourned regular meeting) · Mar 18, 2026
On Apr. 22, 2026, the council voted 7-0 to extend the moratorium by 10 months and 15 days. El Monte City Council minutes, Apr. 22, 2026 · Apr 22, 2026
The city had no data center applications before it in March 2026, according to Mayor Jessica Ancona. San Gabriel Valley Tribune · Mar 12, 2026

Immigration enforcement

Where it standsIn March 2026 the council adopted an urgency ordinance restricting the use of city-owned or city-controlled property; advocates asked for a broader sanctuary ordinance.

What's on the tableWhether to add more limits, such as on data sharing or police cooperation with immigration agents.

On Mar. 18, 2026, the council voted 7-0 for an urgency ordinance adding Chapter 2.90, Restricted Use of City-Owned or City-Controlled Property, to the municipal code. El Monte City Council minutes, Mar. 18, 2026 (adjourned regular meeting) · Mar 18, 2026
Garment Worker Center members asked for limits on police collaboration with ICE and on sharing residents' sensitive information. San Gabriel Valley Tribune · Mar 17, 2026

Garvey Avenue bus lanes

Where it standsIn August 2026 the council approved peak-hour bus lanes on Garvey Avenue between Sastre Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue, 5-2.

What's on the tableAgreements with LA Metro or the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and the project's design and construction.

The project includes side-running bus lanes from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., transit signal priority and bus shelter upgrades. El Monte City Council minutes, Aug. 26, 2026 · Aug 26, 2026
The resolution passed 5-2, with Jessica Ancona and Julia Ruedas voting no. El Monte City Council minutes, Aug. 26, 2026 · Aug 26, 2026

Police staffing and budget

Where it standsThe council added two police sergeant positions in February 2026 and adopted a $275 million budget for FY 2026-27 in June.

What's on the tableHow much of the General Fund goes to police and other services in future budgets.

On Feb. 25, 2026, the council voted 6-1 to raise the sergeant complement from 16 to 18, at a cost of $133,014.58. El Monte City Council minutes, Feb. 25, 2026 · Feb 25, 2026
The FY 2026-27 budget includes a $116.7 million General Fund and passed 7-0. El Monte City Council minutes, June 17, 2026 · Jun 17, 2026
In 2024 voters approved Measure EM, raising the city's sales tax from 1/2% to 3/4%, with 55.23% yes. LA County Registrar-Recorder · Nov 5, 2024

Homelessness

Where it standsThe city leased the Hilda Solis Rose Court to Union Station Homeless Services for the Homekey program and approved temporary emergency lodging agreements.

What's on the tableHow much to fund housing and services for homeless residents.

On June 17, 2026, the council voted 7-0 to lease the Hilda Solis Rose Court to Union Station Homeless Services for the Homekey program. El Monte City Council minutes, June 17, 2026 · Jun 17, 2026
On July 22, 2026, the council voted 7-0 for temporary emergency lodging agreements with Le Blanc Inn & Suites and Pomona Inn for homeless or at-risk residents. El Monte City Council minutes, July 22, 2026 · Jul 22, 2026

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. Should El Monte keep electing its mayor citywide?
2. What should El Monte do about data centers when the moratorium ends?
3. Should El Monte add police positions?
4. What should El Monte focus on to reduce homelessness?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed by the countyCity of El MonteOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to voteCity of El MonteOct 19, 2026
Vote centers openCity of El Monte · Jul 9, 2026Oct 24, 2026
Election DayCity of El MonteNov 3, 2026

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Sheila Crippen-Thomas, Cindy Galvan4 on this ballot

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

El Monte elects its mayor, city clerk and city treasurer citywide; council members are elected by the voters of their own district. City of El Monte
The mayor serves a two-year term and council members serve four-year terms. City of El Monte
Districts 1, 4 and 5 were elected in November 2024 for four-year terms. City of El Monte

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