SAN MARCOS — District 2 Councilmember Mike Sannella has formally filed candidacy paperwork for the city’s mayoral seat in 2026, he announced Wednesday, as current Mayor Rebecca Jones sets her sights on a county supervisor run.
A freshman council member elected in 2022, Sannella said running for mayor felt like a natural next step, considering his years of leadership in local government and local organizations.
His candidacy also comes after discussions among local Republicans about the need for a succession plan on the council, as Jones prepares to run for the District 5 supervisor seat and District 4 City Councilmember Ed Musgrove prepares to run for the 40th Senate District.
“With members of our council deciding to run for higher office and going in different directions, it forced us to think about it a little bit earlier than normal,” said Sannella, who is currently deputy mayor.. “It was kind of a natural step, but at the same time, it was an important one in our city. We do need to make sure there’s a succession plan.”
Sannella previously held office on the Vallecitos Water District Board for eight years and has also served as a city planning commissioner, vice president of the San Marcos Economic Development Corporation, and vice president of San Diego County Crime Stoppers.
He has lived in San Marcos since 1996 and attended Cal State San Marcos.
Sannella commended Jones for her nearly 20 years of service on the City Council, including her past seven years as mayor. If elected, he said he plans to carry on her philosophy of remaining “laser-focused” on core city services.
“Anybody who ends up our next mayor is gonna have huge shoes to fill. Mayor Jones has done a wonderful job for a very long time,” Sannella said. “I think she is someone that I’ve learned a lot from, and also somebody that I think has really shown the right way to be a mayor of a city.”
Jones, for her part, said she fully supports Sannella’s candidacy. She said the city has benefitted from leaders who prioritize residents over politics, and she believes Sannella will continue this trend.
“I have no reservations of being able to step away and know the city is in good hands,” Jones said. “They need someone and deserve someone who is gonna represent them in a way that is befitting to the office, and that’s somebody who is gonna be an adult, and not fight, and work for the betterment of the community.”
As mayor, Sannella said his priorities will continue to align with what the city has been focusing on — supporting high-quality parks and recreation, improving traffic flow, investing in crucial infrastructure, ensuring that city services meet the growing needs of the Cal State San Marcos population, and fiscal responsibility.
Part of this fiscal responsibility will be stewardship of revenues from the one-cent sales tax Measure Q passed by San Marcos voters in November. The city brought the measure forward to support essential city services after having to make cuts in city departments and dip into reserves to close a $3.8 million budget gap last year.
“We’re also trying to be as fiscally responsible as we can, knowing that finances are tighter now than they’ve been in the past. At the end of the day, these are taxpayer dollars, and we need to use them wisely,” Sannella said.
Lindsey Smith, president of the San Elijo Hills HOA and the San Elijo Hills Fire Safe Council, has announced her intention to run for Sannella’s District 2 seat next year.
Jones, Musgrove campaigns
Jones is running against Vista Mayor John Franklin for the District 5 supervisor seat in the 2026 election. Current Supervisor Jim Desmond will be termed out and has announced a campaign for the 49th Congressional District.
As of the end of 2024, Jones had raised over $125,000 for her campaign, and Franklin had raised around $485,000.
Musgrove is running against former state Assembly candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane and San Diego City Councilmember Marnie von Wilpert for the 40th Senate District seat, currently held by Brian Jones. Musgrove has raised $34,500, Bruce-Lane has raised $44,400, and von Wilpert has raised $5,000, according to campaign finance filings.
