​Have you ever thought about running for local office? Now might be the time! We need Democrats who represent the values and priorities of people in our community to serve in local office. 

Right now, we're recruiting candidates for dozens of offices in North County where no Democrat has declared candidacy​. We know from experience that in some of these races, there will be less candidates than there are open seats, so simply qualifying for the ballot is enough to get elected, but that only happens if people like you decide to run. 

The candidate filing period for the November 2026 election starts July 13 and closes August 7.  While the filing process is fairly simple, the sooner you start, the better. The San Diego County Democratic Party is here to answer questions, help candidates through the steps, and then provide tools and services to elect the Democrats we endorse. 

If you're thinking about running for office, click here to see which districts you're eligible for. Then, take a look at the North County offices below where we still need candidates. Finally, scroll down to provide your information, and select the eligible offices you're interested in. A Democratic Party representative will reach out to answer questions and help you figure out next steps. 

The change we need can begin with you!

City Offices

• Carlsbad City Clerk
• Poway Mayor
• Poway City Council, Districts 1 & 3​​​

Education seats

• Bonsall Unified School Board,  Areas B & D
• Cardiff School Board (at-large)
• Escondido Union High School Board, Area 2
• Rancho Santa Fe School Board (at-large)
• San Dieguito Union High School Board, Area 5
• San Pasqual Union School Board, Areas 2 & 3
• Vallecitos School Board, Areas 1, 4 & 5
• Valley Center-Pauma Unified School Board, Areas 2, 3 & 4​

Special Districts

• Bonsall Community Sponsor Group
• Deer Springs Fire Protection District
• Fallbrook Community Planning District
• ​Fairbanks Community Planning Group
• Hidden Meadows Community Planning District
• Morro Hills Community Services District
• Palomar Healthcare District, Divisions 1, 3, & 5
• Pauma Valley Community Services District
• Rainbow Community Planning Group
• Ramona Municipal Water District, Divisions 1, 2 & 4
• Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District, Divisions 1 & 3
• ​San Luis Rey Municipal Water District, Divisions 1 & 3
• Twin Oaks Valley Community Planning District
• Vallecitos Water District, Division 2
• Valley Center Community Planning District
• Valley Center Fire Protection District
• Valley Center Municipal Water District, Division 1
• Vista Fire Protection District
• Vista Irrigation District, Division 1
• Yuima Municipal Water District, Divisions 1 & 4

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