Palmdale City Council District 4 · Nov 3, 2026
Eric Ohlsen
Candidate for City Council District 4 (incumbent)
Eric Ohlsen, the incumbent, is running for Palmdale City Council District 4 in the Nov 3, 2026 election, against Getro Elize, Mark Maldonado and Francisco Sanchez.
Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing · Mon, Oct 5, 2026
TodayEric Ohlsen is Palmdale's 2026 mayor and the District 4 councilmember, first elected in 2022. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and founded the Community Coalition of the Antelope Valley.
- Occupation (from candidate statement)
- Councilmember/Business Owner
Where Eric Ohlsen stands: positions on the record
Elected mayor3 sourced positions
Voted yes on placing a measure on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot to create a directly elected mayor starting in 2028 (passed 4-1, July 2026). He made the motion.
Council votePalmdale City Council agenda packet, Sept. 1, 2026 (draft minutes of July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026) · Sep 1, 2026
Supported placing the elected-mayor measure on the ballot, saying residents deserved a say in how mayors are chosen.
Own statementAntelope Valley Press · Jul 25, 2026
Moved to hire a voting-rights consultant to study adding a directly elected at-large mayor; the motion got no second (August 2025).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, Aug. 19, 2025 · Aug 19, 2025
Sales tax (Measure PD)1 sourced position
Voted yes on delaying the next phased increases of the Measure PD sales tax and requesting an analysis of a full repeal (passed 4-0, August 2026). He made the motion.
Council votePalmdale City Council agenda packet, Sept. 1, 2026 (draft minutes of July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026) · Sep 1, 2026
City contracts1 sourced position
Voted yes on extending the Tripepi Smith communications contract to a total of up to $5,552,000 through December 2028 (passed 3-2, July 2026).
Council votePalmdale City Council agenda packet, Sept. 1, 2026 (draft minutes of July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026) · Sep 1, 2026
Economic development1 sourced position
Voted yes on economic development subsidy agreements with Palmdale Auto Mall dealerships (passed 2-1, June 2026).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, June 2, 2026 · Jun 2, 2026
City manager1 sourced position
Voted yes on the employment agreement making Salvador Mendez city manager (passed 3-2, March 2026).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, March 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026
Budget1 sourced position
Voted yes on adopting the city's 2026-27 budget (passed 3-1, June 2026).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, June 2, 2026 · Jun 2, 2026
Council pay and benefits1 sourced position
Voted no on resolutions setting executive staff compensation and creating a medical benefit program for active councilmembers (passed 4-1, July 2026).
Council votePalmdale City Council agenda packet, Sept. 1, 2026 (draft minutes of July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026) · Sep 1, 2026
How the mayor is chosen1 sourced position
Voted yes on Ordinance No. 1655, which has the council select the mayor and mayor pro tem each year by majority vote (passed 4-1, April 2025).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, April 1, 2025 · Apr 1, 2025
Council actions1 sourced position
Voted no on removing Richard J. Loa from the ceremonial title of mayor and from all city assignments (passed 3-1, July 2025).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, July 15, 2025 · Jul 15, 2025
Development1 sourced position
Voted yes on Ordinance No. 1652 and Resolution No. CC 2025-011, approving a zone change and permits for a Beyond Foods project (passed 4-1, March 2025).
Council votePalmdale City Council minutes, March 4, 2025 · Mar 4, 2025
Neighborhoods1 sourced position
Says he turned his volunteer cleanup work into the city's Community Preservation Program.
“As your Councilmember, I turned that work into the city's Community Preservation Program, helping ensure no neighborhood gets left behind.”
Own statementLos Angeles County candidate statement · Sep 29, 2026
Past races1 sourced position
Ran for Palmdale City Council, District 4 in 2022 (won).
Own statementLos Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Election results, Nov. 8, 2022 General Election · Dec 5, 2022
What Eric Ohlsen said vs. how Eric Ohlsen voted
Elected mayor
In their words
Supported placing the elected-mayor measure on the ballot, saying residents deserved a say in how mayors are chosen.
Jul 25, 2026 ·Antelope Valley Press · Jul 25, 2026
On the record
Moved to hire a voting-rights consultant to study adding a directly elected at-large mayor; the motion got no second (August 2025).
Aug 19, 2025 ·Palmdale City Council minutes, Aug. 19, 2025 · Aug 19, 2025
Voted yes on placing a measure on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot to create a directly elected mayor starting in 2028 (passed 4-1, July 2026). He made the motion.
Sep 1, 2026 ·Palmdale City Council agenda packet, Sept. 1, 2026 (draft minutes of July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026) · Sep 1, 2026
Also running for City Council District 4
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