CAMPAIGN BUZZ
August 14, 2026
Costa Mesa Council race will see 8 candidates square off for 4 open seats, including mayor
Sara Cardine, Staff Writer, Daily Pilot
With the filing period for candidates in November’s election now officially closed, a clear picture of which Costa Mesa hopefuls will be vying for four open spots on the City Council, including the mayor’s seat, has emerged. An online candidates portal maintained on the city’s website indicates eight contenders have been qualified to run for office by the Orange County Registrar of Voters by the Aug. 7 filing deadline, with exactly two candidates squaring off for each available council seat. While council races are non-partisan, ideological divisions between the two main political parties could bring candidates’ views on housing and immigration, law enforcement, development and budgetary decisions into sharp focus during campaign season. Two incumbents — District 1 Councilmember Mike Buley and Loren Gameros, who represents District 2 — seek to replace Mayor John Stephens, who is terming out after being appointed in 2021 and serving two, two-year terms. A registered Republican and attorney elected to the council in 2024, Buley supports giving citizen groups more of a voice, particularly in matters of financial oversight and planning. An educator with a nonprofit labor organization, Democrat Gameros’ campaign focuses on supporting public safety and expanding opportunities for youth sports and recreation. No other currently serving council members’ names will appear on the November ballot, as incumbents Andrea Marr (District 3), Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez (District 4) and Arlis Reynolds (District 5), all elected to the council in 2018 and reelected in 2022, are also termed out and did not throw their hats into the mayor’s contest. Costa Mesa voters will instead make their picks from a list of new candidates, all of whom are already doing civic work on various committees and commissions. In Council District 3, which comprises College Park, Mesa del Mar and a portion of the upper Eastside, Cara Stewart, who serves on the city’s Animal Services Committee, will run against Daniel Morgan, a member of Costa Mesa’s Finance and Pension Advisory Committee.A registered Democrat, Stewart lists her occupation as business owner and startup adviser. In her role on the Animal Service Committee, she is spearheading an effort to bring a brick-and-mortar animal shelter to town. Morgan, a real estate business owner and parent, is a registered Republican who frequently comments on social media about the need to eliminate bureaucracy at the city level and is backed by former conservative mayors Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger. District 4, which covers the city’s west side south of the Fairview Developmental Center, from Harbor Boulevard west to Monrovia Avenue and south to West 17th Street, will see Planning Commissioner Angely Andrade Vallarta face off against Arts Commissioner Fisher Derderian. Andrade Vallarta joined the Planning Commission in 2023 and has since advocated for more affordable housing and walkable streets, including on the site of the Fairview Developmental Center. A Democrat, she previously served on the city’s Parks, Arts & Community Services Commission. Appointed to the Arts Commission in 2023, Derderian advocates changes in how public art is funded and prioritized. While his party preference cannot be found on 2020 voter rolls, he is associated with the Washington, D.C., nonprofit National Civic Art Society, whose co-founder helped design the new White House ballroom. In Council District 5, which wraps around District 4, taking in downtown and the remainder of the city’s west side, Steve Smith, a member of Costa Mesa’s Animal Services Committee, will run against Kelly Brown, who serves on the city’s Parks and Community Services Commission (PACS). A technology consultant, Smith has also advocated for a Costa Mesa-based animal shelter and opposes what he views as an “ecology-first” Fairview Park Master Plan. A Republican, his council campaign has been endorsed by Pettis and Buley, the lone council conservatives. Brown, a Democrat, lists her occupation as a communications director and educator. Appointed to PACS in 2021, she has provided input on the city’s Parks Master Plan and has advocated at council meetings for more support for local parks and community gardens.