Imperial Beach voters will decide races for mayor and two City Council seats in the Nov. 3 general election, as the city continues to confront the Tijuana River sewage and pollution crisis that has dominated local politics.
Mayor Mitch McKay is seeking a full term against Karl Bradley, a retired public administrator. In District 1, Jose A. Lopez Eguino, a South Bay Union School District board member, faces Steve Berry, a small business owner. In District 3, Councilmember Mariko Nakawatase is unopposed after O’mar Diallo withdrew from the race last month.
In the interest of consistency, each candidate was asked the same three questions covering the sewage crisis, development and revenue generation, including the Palm Avenue corridor project, and the rising cost of living. Each was also given the chance to raise an additional issue.
Lopez Eguino and Berry did not respond to several requests to answer the questionnaire.
Diallo, in a Sept. 20 letter to the city clerk withdrawing from the race, cited “personal and professional considerations” and his “assessment of the present and anticipated leadership environment within the City.” He wrote that “effective service on the City Council requires more than a commitment to public service. It also requires the right timing, a constructive working environment, and a reasonable degree of compatibility with both the current and potential future leadership of the City.”
Mayor
Mitch McKay is running for Imperial Beach mayor in the Nov. 3 general election. (Mrs. Katie Nietes Photography of Imperial Beach, CA)
Mitch McKay
McKay, 68, was elected to the District 3 council seat in 2022 and now serves as mayor — a position he was appointed to in 2025 after previous mayor Paloma Aguirre won a special election bid for the county Board of Supervisors. He attended Southwestern College and San Diego State University.
McKay said the transboundary sewage crisis has been a major focus of his time in office, citing four years spent building relationships with federal, state, county and international officials, including a prior term on the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission Citizens Forum Board from 2019 to 2022. He cited recent meetings with Sen. Scott Peters, Sen. Steve Padilla, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and IBWC Commissioner Chad McIntosh, among others.
“‘Source Control’ of the Tijuana River is paramount to claim any 100% solution to beach closures in Imperial Beach and Coronado long-term,” McKay wrote. He said U.S.-side infrastructure projects expected to be complete by the end of 2027 “can significantly help,” but a lasting fix depends on Mexico meeting its Minute 328 and 333 commitments.
“I am extremely disappointed with the outgoing Governor and his blatant disregard in addressing the issue head-on,” McKay wrote, adding that the federal administration “are making progress — but more is required.” He said the city has formally asked that a renegotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement include funding, through a toll, tax or tariff, for Tijuana River Valley restoration.
On revenue, McKay said the city’s general fund is limited to property tax, sales tax and hotel tax, all declining amid the crisis. He cited a March 31 roundtable with U.S. Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator William Briggs and said a meeting with a new regional director is set within 10 days to pursue forgivable “Impact Zone” loans.
He pointed to the upcoming Palm Avenue Masterplan, which he said will bring road and pedestrian improvements, upgraded signage and landscaping “to help create a more pleasant overall shopping experience for residents and our visitors.”
On cost of living, McKay said he would not support a “regressive” sales tax increase affecting the South Bay’s more than 700,000 residents, citing the city’s 2024 Renters Protection Ordinance.
Karl Bradley is running for Imperial Beach mayor in the Nov. 3 general election. (Colin Scharff, Evinco Strategies)
Karl Bradley
Bradley, 70, a retired public administrator with a background in construction inspection, is making his first run for office.
Bradley said the mayor “needs to be a vocal advocate for the community,” calling transboundary pollution “an existential issue that impacts every aspect of life in IB.” He said he supports completing work outlined in USIBWC/CILA minutes 328 and 333, along with two county Board of Supervisors proposals: a funded project addressing hydrogen sulfide gas at a “hot spot” near Saturn Boulevard, and a proposed supplemental treatment plant contingent on a countywide sales tax increase on the November ballot.
“State, federal, and local governments must provide funding not only to build and upgrade facilities to eliminate sewage spills but also for ongoing maintenance and operational costs,” Bradley wrote. As mayor, he said he would demand greater transparency from the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission, a joint U.S.-Mexico body, and push for the agency to reinstate its Citizens’ Forum, which he said has not met since June 2025.
On development, Bradley said reopening the city’s beaches is a top priority, noting events like Portwood Pier Plaza’s Powwow and Symphony by the Sea draw outside spending. He said the city has no budget for business promotion and no business improvement district, and called the Palm Avenue Complete Multimodal Corridor Project an opportunity to “facelift” the corridor, though some business owners have raised access concerns during construction.
On cost of living, Bradley said most pressures stem from federal economic and foreign policy, which “a small town mayor has little ability to change.”
“As mayor, I will urge state and federal legislators to reverse policies making our region and our country too expensive for all of us,” he wrote.
His additional issue was public safety, saying the fire department is understaffed, recruits are paid 33% less than counterparts elsewhere, and the city’s Sheriff’s Department contract is its largest single expenditure.
District 1
Lopez Eguino and Berry are running for the District 1 seat. Neither responded to several requests to answer the questionnaire by deadline.
District 3
Mariko Nakawatase is running for Imperial Beach City Council, District 3, in the Nov. 3 general election. (Christian Koszka, FreeTime Productions LLC)
Mariko Nakawatase
Nakawatase, 31, is the District 3 incumbent and a small business owner who works as district director for county Supervisor Joel Anderson. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and pre-law and a master’s in public administration.
Nakawatase said she has represented the city in Washington, D.C., advocating for coordination among local, state and federal agencies, and supported efforts to secure a state of emergency declaration that “fell short with the Governor’s office.” She said she opposes an added tax on residents to address the crisis, writing, “the money, labor, and efforts need to be seen with our southern neighbors.”
She said she has pushed for the IBWC to restore its public forum and called for “more accessible public dashboards, regular project updates, and proactive notifications about sewage flows, air quality, and beach closures.”
On development, Nakawatase said the city should examine its permitting process to help small businesses and attract businesses that “meet the everyday needs of our residents,” work she said is already underway with the local Chamber of Commerce. On the Palm Avenue corridor, she said improvements should address pedestrian safety, bicycle access and lighting while keeping existing businesses accessible during construction.
On cost of living, Nakawatase said the city should look at housing incentives for young families, seniors and working professionals, along with permitting timelines and business fees that get passed on to consumers. Her additional issue was reviving the city’s business improvement district and farmers market, and eventually exploring an off-leash dog beach.
“I would love if more people interacted with the government, and hope to stand as an inspiration for younger people to get involved,” she wrote.