{"id":492683,"date":"2026-10-11T14:46:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T14:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/492683\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T14:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T14:46:11","slug":"two-candidates-vie-for-anaheims-downtown-district-3-council-seat-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/492683\/","title":{"rendered":"Two candidates vie for Anaheim\u2019s downtown District 3 council seat \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two candidates are vying for the City Council seat representing Anaheim<\/a>\u2019s District 3, the centralmost portion of the city that includes the historic colony, the downtown core with the Packing District, and some 55,000 residents.<\/p>\n

Incumbent Natalie Rubalcava<\/a>, who won the district seat in 2022, is facing challenger and nonprofit director Elia Renteria-Garcia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The winner will represent District 3\u2019s interests amid the seven-member council, which will be making some big decisions in the next several years, such as how to use more than $100 million once debt from 1990s resort upgrades is paid off<\/a>, handling construction projects across the city and parsing options for Angel Stadium\u2019s future after getting a handle on its condition.<\/a><\/p>\n

The two candidates answered questions for the newspaper\u2019s voter guide on some of those issues and others, including what they think are priorities for the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe one of Anaheim\u2019s biggest needs is sustainable, attainable housing that allows people to stay in the city they work in and contribute to,\u201d Rentreria-Garcia said of the challenges facing Anaheim and District 3, which includes \u201cmany renters, working families, seniors, and multigenerational households dealing with rising housing costs, overcrowding, and older housing stock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, sustainable housing means more than simply building more units. It means making sure housing is affordable at different income levels, protecting existing residents from displacement, improving the condition of older properties, and making thoughtful decisions about where new housing belongs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The city is under pressure to meet state housing mandates for more homes, especially at lower price points. The next four-year term will see the end of the city\u2019s sixth housing cycle \u2014 essentially an eight-year plan to meet local housing needs \u2014 and the start of the city\u2019s seventh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would focus on using the tools and partnerships the city already has, supporting responsible development, looking at opportunities along appropriate corridors and underused properties, and making sure infrastructure and services can support growth,\u201d Rentreria-Garcia said. \u201cMost importantly, housing decisions should include the people who already live here. We can meet our housing responsibilities while protecting neighborhood character and making sure Anaheim remains a place where families can build a future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anaheim\u2019s biggest need, Rubalcava said, \u201cis ensuring we have a sustainable revenue source for our general fund so we can continue delivering the quality city services our residents expect and deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a strong and sustainable fiscal foundation, it becomes much more difficult to address the issues that affect residents\u2019 daily lives,\u201d Rubalcava said, adding funds could go toward \u201cpublic safety, homelessness, thoughtful housing and maintaining essential city services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut ultimately, many of the concerns I hear most from residents come down to quality of life: safe parks, well-maintained neighborhoods, addressing crime, improving infrastructure, and making sure residents feel safe in their communities,\u201d she said. \u201cI also believe transparency and accountability must remain at the center of how we manage public resources. Residents deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent and to have confidence that the city is making responsible decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

If elected for a second term, Rubalcava said, \u201cI will continue working closely with city staff, community members and our regional partners to address these challenges. My focus is on finding practical, sustainable solutions that protect essential services today while putting Anaheim in a stronger position for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among big decisions awaiting Anaheim councilmembers, the city\u2019s general fund is expected to see more than $100 million annually by 2028 when the city will have paid off resort bonds.<\/p>\n

The District 3 candidates agree the city should be strategic with its spending and said proposed the influx first go toward core city services and resources, public safety, investing in existing city infrastructure and addressing the eight-figure budget deficit.<\/p>\n

They also agree that residents should see tangible results in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to make sure resources are reaching families and neighborhoods that have historically gone without the same level of investment,\u201d Renteria-Garcia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn District 3 especially, we have older infrastructure and working families who depend on city services and community resources,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cmost importantly, I want residents to know where this money is going and what results we are getting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubalcava said she does not view the incoming funds as \u201ca blank check.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to see additional investment in first-time homebuyer programs so more Anaheim families have the opportunity to own a home,\u201d she said. \u201cI also want to invest in our parks and public spaces and address the basics residents tell me matter most: safer streets, sidewalks, lighting, roads and neighborhood improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a unique opportunity to invest in Anaheim\u2019s future, and we should do it thoughtfully, responsibly and based on the priorities our residents have told us matter most,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This November, voters citywide are also deciding the mayor\u2019s race, with incumbent Ashleigh Aitken<\/a> facing Alfredo Rodriguez<\/a> and Imran Sharief<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Councilmembers Carlos Leon and Natalie Meeks were unopposed for second terms representing Districts 2 and 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two candidates are vying for the City Council seat representing Anaheim\u2019s District 3, the centralmost portion of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":492684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,7,204,1071,100,611,8047,13,136],"class_list":["post-492683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-election","tag-local-government","tag-news","tag-orange-county","tag-orange-county-elections","tag-politics","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=492683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=492683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=492683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}