Candidates are gearing up as four seats on the city council are up for election. 

This includes council districts 2, 4, 6 and 8.

Voters in the city of San Diego are expected to receive their ballots in the mail on Oct. 5, while ballot drop boxes will open on Oct. 6. In-person early voting will begin Oct. 31, and the last day to vote in-person is Nov. 3.

SDSU students can choose to register to vote in San Diego County or in their hometown, but they can only register in one location, according to SDSU’s voter registration guide. Students living in the dorms who are interested in voting in San Diego should use their residence hall address when registering. 

District 9, which encompasses SDSU, will not have an election this November; therefore, students voting from SDSU will not be able to vote for the districts up for elections. However, students living within districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 may vote for their respective elections. 

District 2 covers the North Clairemont, Clairemont Mesa East and West, Pacific Beach and Point Loma Heights. 

District 4 includes Emerald Hills, Encanto, Oak Park, Lincoln Park, Paradise Hills, Bay Terrace and Skyline.

District 6 includes Mira Mesa, Miramar, Rancho Encantada and the Marine Corps Air Station. 

District 8 includes Barrio Logan, Grant Hill, Logan Heights and Shelltown.

Registering to vote on the California Online Voter Registration website requires a California driver’s license, California ID or the last four digits of a social security number.

Council District 2 (North Clairemont, Clairemont Mesa East and West, Pacific Beach, and Point Loma Heights)

Richard Bailey

Richard Bailey served as the mayor of Coronado from 2016 to 2024. He also worked as a financial analyst at a Fortune 500 company and owns multiple small businesses in San Diego.

Bailey said that his main priorities as council member would be balancing the budget and fixing the streets. He also plans on reforming policy around accessory dwelling units, homes or apartments that are part of a larger property.

Bailey has received support from the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Union-Tribune editorial board wrote that “Bailey has many ideas about how to change this picture, starting with having San Diego get out of the trash business and adopt ‘a competitively bid, third-party collection model, like every other city in the county’ — resulting in better service at a much cheaper cost.”

According to John Moorlach, a former California state senator, Coronado residents on average gained wealth, while San Diego residents became less wealthy overall. 

In the same timespan under Bailey’s mayoral tenure, the average Coronado resident gained $2,418 in wealth, while the average San Diego resident lost $1,380 in wealth. 

On Feb. 19, Bailey changed his platform from Republican to no party preference. In an interview with Voice of San Diego, Bailey said that San Diegans are craving good policies regardless of party. “They’re just dissatisfied with the current state of the city…they want someone that I think is a serious leader,” he said. 

Nicole Crosby

Nicole Crosby currently serves as a deputy city attorney for the city of San Diego. She also served as PTA president of Holmes Elementary and, most recently, president of the Clairemont Town Council.

In an interview with NBC7, Crosby said that her first priority on the city council would be to fix the infrastructure for District 2. Her plan includes overhauling spending for supplies like concrete, making sure leases are up to market value to reduce corporate intrusion on public land and taking proactive action for larger infrastructure grants to reduce construction throughout the year. 

Crosby also stated that she’s against Flock cameras. 

“Unfortunately, using third party vendors that aggregate private data and have the ability to, you know, sell it, use it, share it in a way that our city doesn’t want, does not make me feel comfortable, and I don’t have confidence in that entity,” she said.

According to her campaign website, Crosby worked to establish and supervise the City Attorney’s Gun Violence Response Unit. The unit is tasked with filing petitions for Gun Violence Restraining Orders and advising San Diego police on firearm matters, and is now recognized as the state model. 

The website also mentions her experience prosecuting slumlords, connecting seniors with services, providing shelter for homeless people and serving on the San Diego Unified School District Multi-Agency Task Force to protect kids from harassment and abuse.

Her endorsements include U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Action Fund, California Women’s List and SDSU College Democrats.

Council District 4 (Emerald Hills, Encanto, Oak Park, Lincoln Park, Paradise Hills, Bay Terrace, and Skyline)

Martha Abraham

Martha Abraham has a background as a neonatal ICU nurse, community advocate and entrepreneur. She is also the daughter of immigrant parents.

In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Abraham said the main issues facing San Diego are the need for representation by council members, the need to create more “economically-balanced communities” and thoughtful development planning.

Abraham also said she opposes the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. 

“Your contributions are woven into the fabric of this community,” she said to immigrants in her area. “I see you, I stand with you, and we will fight into the fabric of this community. I see you, I stand with you, and we will fight for you. You are not alone,” she said.

Abraham said she would launch a probe into Footnote 7, a 2019 housing plan that would have allowed denser housing in areas like District 4. Abraham led an effort with District 4 residents that got the footnote repealed, citing concerns of overcrowding, traffic, fire risk and health.

Martha Abraham is endorsed by organizations, such as the Sierra Club San Diego, UNAC/UHCP, The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint and Run Women Run.

Henry Foster III

Henry Foster III is the incumbent council member representing District 4. Foster, a third-generation resident of District 4, previously owned a construction business and worked as Chief of Staff for former Council member Monica Montgomery Steppe.  

Foster’s campaign website states that he served as Equal Opportunity Contracting Program Manager for the City of San Diego, where he awarded $5 billion to consultant contracts and programs advancing equity and inclusion. 

Foster has advocated for increased reviews over legal settlements with community members over police misconduct and greater police accountability that have cost taxpayers $116 million in the past decade. 

“This is about building trust,” he said. “This is about transparency and accountability.”

Foster has said he has worked toward “strengthening our communities,” “improving quality of life,” and “investing in real safety.” This includes securing $25,000 for the The San Diego Black Arts + Culture District and being involved in the construction of the $37 million Oak Park Library.

Foster’s endorsements include figures like U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, U.S Rep Sara Jacob and California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber. His organizational support includes SDSU College Democrats, National Union of Healthcare Workers and the San Diego Municipal Employee Association.

Council District 6 (Mira Mesa, Miramar, Rancho Encantada, and the Marine Corps Air Station)

Kent Lee

Kent Lee, a California native and graduate of UC San Diego, is the current incumbent for District 6. 

Lee has been associated with various local organizations, such as the San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition and the Mira Mesa Community Planning Group.

In an interview with the Union Tribune, Lee stated that San Diego faces a variety of structural challenges “from housing affordability to infrastructure backlogs to a growing budget deficit.” He said he plans to strengthen oversight, improve budgeting transparency and ensure accountability across departments to boost public trust.

On Jan. 6, Lee sent a joint-memorandum with Sean Elo-Rivera to Mayor Todd Gloria requesting that Balboa Park parking fees be suspended at least temporarily.

“San Diegans should not have to deal with the impacts of a system that is not yet optimized for public use,” Lee said.

Lee sent another memorandum to Todd Gloria on June 20 demanding that $1.8 million be allocated to San Diego Fire and Rescue along with library and recreation center restorations. He claimed that the budget for the 2027 fiscal year ignored “various funding requests” for these services.

His endorsements include the California Federation of Labor Unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  and San Diego Young Democrats.

Mark Powell

Mark Powell, a first-generation American, has worked as a professor at National University, a real estate businessman and a former SDPD reserve officer. He was also a board member on the San Diego County Board of Education. 

In his statement of qualifications, Powell said that his top priorities are opposing new taxes and fees, fixing roads and sidewalks, protecting neighborhoods from “negative ADU impacts”, preserving street parking for residents and businesses, removing dead trees from canyons to reduce fire risk, expanding opportunities for affordable homeownership and directing more funding for neighborhood services.

Powell’s endorsements include Mitz Lee, Mira Mesa community leader, advocate and former school board member. He is also endorsed by Bonnie Kutch, a founder of UC Neighbors for Responsible Growth. His name has appeared on the Republican Party of San Diego Voter Guide.

Council District 8 (Barrio Logan, Grant Hill, Logan Heights, and Shelltown)

Antonio Martinez

Antonio Martinez previously served as a board member of the San Ysidro School district. In addition, he was a healthcare educator for the Nestor Community Clinic. He also has experience as a congressional representative for U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, where he worked with community members, local businesses and government officials to build consensus. 

In an interview with the Union-Tribune, Martinez stated that, if elected, he plans to immediately invest in District 8 infrastructure, address the Tijuana River sewage crisis and increase affordability for working families.

He also plans to address homelessness by supporting housing development with new financial sources, investing in “transit-oriented” development and using wrap-around social service programs.

His endorsements include former State Sen. Ben Hueso, the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 145 San Ysidro Education Association, Imperial Beach Democratic Club, (IBDC) La Voz Democrata, South Bay National City Democratic Club and UC San Diego Triton Democrats.

Gerardo Ramirez

Gerardo Ramirez is a District 8 native, SDSU graduate and chief of staff to Council member Vivian Moreno. 

On his campaign website, Ramirez said he secured “over $107 million in funding for District 8, turning dirt lots into parks, crumbling roads into smooth streets, and broken promises into real results.”

In an interview with the Union-Tribune, Ramirez said that he plans to endorse “core city services,” increase housing production, fund first-time homebuyer programs and push for more cost-benefit analysis of programs and services. 

“It’s time for a new generation of leadership, one that changes the culture at city hall and puts our neighborhoods first,” Ramirez said.

On May 4, inewsource reported that Ramirez has also received hefty financial support from National Enterprises Inc., a company that plans to establish a controversial landfill in Otay Mesa.  

His other endorsements include the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA), San Diego Municipal Employees Association, Assemblymember David Alvarez, Council member Vivian Moreno and SDSU College Democrats.