Anaheim Council District 3: Natalie Rubalcava Leads Elia Renteria-Garcia by 2,436 Votes

ANAHEIM, Calif. — November 5, 2026. City Council District 3 voters had a separate council contest on the November 3 ballot alongside the Anaheim mayor’s election. The latest available Orange County results list Natalie Rubalcava with 5,859 votes (63.12%) and Elia Renteria-Garcia with 3,423 (36.88%), a 2,436-vote reported lead. The November 4 returns are not a certified final result.

A district seat, not a citywide mayoral vote

Orange County voters in Anaheim do not all share the same council district ballot. The city held council races in designated districts while electing a mayor citywide. California58’s Anaheim voting guide identifies Districts 2, 3 and 6 as council areas on the 2026 ballot. A District 3 result should not be reported as a count from all of Anaheim.

Mayor’s vote in the same reporting snapshot

In a separate race, Ashleigh Aitken had 35,471 votes, Alfredo Rodriguez 19,932 and Imran Sharief 7,001 in the November 4 results. California58’s existing mayoral report contains earlier snapshots. Because there are three mayoral candidates and only two District 3 council candidates, neither the vote percentages nor the total ballot selections should be substituted from one contest into the other.

Why the next council matters

A council member participates in city decisions concerning development, infrastructure, neighborhood service delivery, public safety, tourism impacts and budgets. Residents should use official agendas and city records to distinguish promises made in campaigns from decisions taken by elected officials. A countywide estimated total of uncounted ballots is not the number of outstanding votes in Anaheim District 3.

Why these numbers remain preliminary

California’s county election offices continue reviewing qualifying mail ballots, provisional votes, conditional registrations and other necessary canvass items. An indicator saying that polling-place precincts have reported does not mean all valid ballots are counted. The Orange County Registrar has scheduled manual tabulation and risk-limiting audit work after Election Day. The county must complete its official results within California’s legal deadlines; statewide certification is due December 11. Vote totals in this story are the November 4 reporting snapshot accessed November 5, not a claim of a new November 5 tally.

For updated figures, consult the Orange County Registrar of Voters and NBC Los Angeles’ results table. Different source update times may show different totals. California58 reports candidate rankings and approved legal thresholds without endorsing an electoral choice or treating a news projection as certification.

California58 Elections Desk | November 5, 2026. Sources: Orange County election returns, local election and ballot documents linked above. Figures are uncertified and subject to change.

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