Jose Rodriguez Leads National City Mayoral Race
Councilmember Jose Rodriguez holds a substantial early lead in the National City mayoral race, while Matias Rosales leads the contest for mayor of San Luis.
National City Councilmember Jose Rodriguez holds a substantial lead in the early returns for the mayoral race on November 4, 2026. Early tallies of approximately 6,300 votes place Rodriguez at 55 percent, while fellow Councilmember Marcus Bush trails at 32 percent. Both Democratic candidates are competing to succeed retiring Mayor Ron Morrison, with the winner inheriting a structural budget deficit of roughly $13 million.
Rodriguez, a former labor organizer, campaigned on rent stabilization and support for immigrant families. Bush, a former housing project manager, focused his campaign on easing home development. In other National City contests, incumbent Ditas Yamane leads for District 3, and Cindy López narrowly leads Vice Mayor Luz Molina for District 1.
Simultaneously, preliminary results in San Luis, Arizona, show former City Council Member Matias Rosales leading the mayoral race with 52 percent of the vote, compared to 48 percent for military veteran James Allen Jr. Neither candidate has declared victory pending the final count. In related Arizona contests, incumbent Javier Vargas and Octavio Ramirez lead for San Luis City Council seats, while Lorena Delgadillo and Brian Lopez lead for Somerton City Council seats.
