ESCONDIDO — Mayor Dane White has announced his re-election campaign for next year.
White first won the mayoral election in 2022, unseating incumbent Mayor Paul McNamara for a four-year term expiring in 2026.
Since then, White has pushed for several key initiatives to curb homelessness, improve public safety, and enhance opportunities for small businesses, according to his announcement.
Some of those moves include approving increased enforcement against homeless encampments, proposing alternative funding sources for a new local shelter, and exploring potential recreational cannabis sales within the city.
White, who previously experienced homelessness as a young man in Escondido nearly two decades ago, claimed his efforts, along with law enforcement and other city officials, have helped to achieve a significant reduction in homelessness for the city over the past year.
According to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness 2025 Point-in-Time Count, Escondido saw a 2% reduction in homelessness overall, which accounts for both sheltered and unsheltered individuals. More notably, the city experienced a 23.4% reduction in unsheltered homelessness.
White also supported Measure I, the city’s new one-cent sales tax approved by voters last year, as well as improving compensation for police officers and firefighters, thus alleviating recruitment and retention issues. He also claims to have “stood up” for North County families on SANDAG and the San Diego County Water Authority by pushing back against new “regressive” taxes and fees.
The city has also completed the first two phases of the Grand Avenue Vision Project during his time as mayor.
White officially announced his re-election campaign for the November 2026 election during a kick-off event on July 17.
He issued the following statement:
“I am very proud of what we have accomplished over the past few years. Working together, we have moved the needle on issues ranging from homelessness, to public safety, to supporting small businesses. While we should celebrate this progress, we also know there is still much work to do to tackle these issues and improve our quality of life in Escondido. I am excited to continue our momentum forward and make my case to Escondido voters for four more years.”
White is a fifth generation Escondido resident. Prior to his time as mayor, he ran a small, local construction services and property management business. He also served on the Escondido Union High School District Board of Trustees from 2016 to 2022, when he was elected as mayor.
He lives in East Escondido with his wife, Kelsey, a special education teacher, and their two daughters, SonnyJan and Hattie.
The City Council’s District 1 and 2 seats will also be up for election in 2026 along with the mayoral seat.
