Districts 2 and 3, mayor and Measure H head to voters
ONTARIO, Calif. (Inland Empire News Online) — Ontario voters will decide a four-way mayoral race, electing the first representatives for Districts 2 and 3 using the city’s staggered district-election system, and voting on a proposed half-cent sales tax in the November 3, 2026, General Election.
The official field features current Mayor Paul Leon and three challengers, Kevin Kizzee, Nicolo Lalama and Council Member Daisy Macias in the citywide mayoral race. Voters in District 2 will pick between Stephanie Martinez and former Council Member Ruben Valencia. Voters in District 3 will decide among D’Andre Lampkin, Michael Rios, Larry Trinidad and long-serving Council Member Alan Wapner.
Ontario’s local elections are nonpartisan. The mayor is elected citywide while residents vote for the council member in their district. District 2 and District 3 are on the ballot this year, while Districts 1 and 4 are slated to be decided in 2028.
What Ontario voters will decide
Three major city questions await Ontario voters in November 2026:
Mayor for four years.
District 2 Council Member.
District 3 Council Member.
Measure H, a proposed half-cent sales tax.
The election occurs amid continuing population growth, infrastructure building, expansion at Ontario International Airport and significant spending on public safety, downtown facilities and the Ontario Ranch area.
Mayoral candidates
Kevin Kizzee – Small Business Owner
According to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, Kevin Kizzee’s ballot designation is “Small Business Owner.”
Kizzee’s 2026 campaign portrays him as a business-minded candidate whose priorities include municipal accountability, public safety, economic development, homelessness and existing local businesses. He talks about commercial property maintenance and city expenditures in his campaign materials. He is not a sitting Ontario city official.
Contact: Kizzee’s campaign maintains a public contact form and campaign information through its website. Kevin Kizzee for Mayor campaign website
Nicolo Lalama – University Student
The Registrar of Voters lists Nicolo Lalama’s ballot designation as “University Student.” The county candidate list indicates that Lalama did not submit a candidate statement to appear in the county voter information materials.
A verified campaign website or candidate biography is not available during this review.
No publicly available information is known regarding this candidate.
Paul S. Leon – Incumbent Mayor
Paul Leon is the incumbent mayor who seeks reelection to a fourth term. His current term expires at the end of 2026.
Leon was appointed to the Ontario City Council in 1998, won election to the council in 1999, and was re-elected several times before being appointed to serve as mayor pro tem. He won a special mayoral election in June 2005. He has been mayor since 2005. Outside his municipal career, Leon is a senior pastor and previously served in the U.S. Army and in the trucking industry and in community organizations.
Leon has also served as a delegate in various regional transportation, housing and homelessness-related and other intergovernmental associations. Past recognition by community, school and business groups is listed in the city biography.
Leon is the sole incumbent mayor in the race. Major citywide projects completed or advanced under Leon’s current term as mayor include Measure Q investments, a new Fire Station No. 1, Civic Center parking structure, City Services Building development, airport growth and newer police technology. Those were accomplishments of the entire City Council and city government organization rather than of individual council members and mayor.
Contact: Ontario City Hall, 303 E. B Street, Ontario; 909-395-2000. Leon maintains a city contact form and a 2026 campaign. His campaign lists mayorpaulleon@gmail.com as a contact email address.
Paul Leon 2026 campaign website
Daisy Macias – Current Council Member, District 4
Daisy Macias is a sitting Ontario council member but is not the incumbent mayor. She was appointed to her first City Council term in December 2024 to represent District 4 with her term to run through December 2028.
Macias is a lifelong resident of Ontario with an associate degree in business management and an emphasis in health science. Professional experience includes community relations and outreach at the Hope through Housing Foundation and real estate work. Prior to serving on the council, she has also been active on various Ontario boards and commissions, including Library Board and Parks and Recreation Commission.
Therefore, Macias comes into the mayoral race with roughly two years of Council experience by the Election Day, along with earlier involvement in boards and commissions.
Contact: Ontario City Hall, 303 E. B Street, Ontario; 909-395-2000, through the City Council Member contact process. At the time of this review, no separate current 2026 mayoral campaign contact was independently verified.
District 2 candidates
District 2 has no sitting council incumbent. Former Council Member Ruben Valencia seeks to become one again against Stephanie Martinez.
Ontario’s transition to district representation from at-large council seats led to staggered elections. Districts 1 and 4 had their elections in 2024 while Districts 2 and 3 go to the polls in 2026.
Stephanie Martinez – Businesswoman
County’s candidate list designates Martinez as “Businesswoman” and shows that she submitted a candidate statement.
In addition to the information contained in the official election records, a sufficient candidate biography or verified current campaign contact was not located during this review.
No publicly available information is known regarding this candidate.
Ruben Valencia – Former Ontario Council Member
Ruben Valencia is a former Ontario City Council member and retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. He was first elected to the council in November 2016 and was reelected in 2020. His service on the council ended in 2024 due to Ontario’s switch to the staggered district-election system.
Valencia worked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for almost 30 years and holds an Advanced POST certification. His professional biography lists extensive law enforcement experience in patrol and administration.
Valencia also ran for mayor in 2022. According to the election records, Paul Leon received 15,583 votes, Valencia 10,129 votes and Christian Garcia 3,461 votes in that race. He now seeks the District 2 council seat rather than the mayor’s office.
The Registrar lists his 2026 ballot designation as “Retired Deputy Sheriff.”
Contact: No current candidate-specific campaign email, telephone number or website was directly verified from the county filing information for this article.
District 3 candidates
District 3 has four candidates running for the council seat. Alan Wapner is already a sitting Ontario council member while the other three are not.
D’Andre Lampkin – Deputy Sheriff and Planning Commissioner
The county candidate list identifies D’Andre Lampkin as “Deputy Sheriff/Businessman.” His campaign biography also lists him as Ontario Planning Commissioner, Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, California POST-certified academy instructor, nonprofit founder, emergency management practitioner and healthcare entrepreneur.
Lampkin founded the D’Andre D. Lampkin Foundation in 2017. His campaign mentions community assistance, disaster preparedness, scholarships and emergency response in relation to the foundation activities. His municipal experience consists primarily of work on the Ontario Planning Commission rather than elected office.
His campaign platforms cover public safety, growth and development, infrastructure, emergency preparedness and responsiveness of city officials to community needs.
Contact: His campaign lists Ontario as its location and publishes the telephone number 909-223-0070.
D’Andre Lampkin for Ontario District 3
Michael Rios – Software Engineer
The Registrar lists Michael Rios as “Software Engineer.” Rios’ campaign says he is an Ontario native who went to Chaffey High School and returned to the city to live in Ontario Ranch after his education. He has 13 years of experience as a software engineer.
Rios also founded Citizens4Ontario social media project which he says he has used to comment on city budgets and policy decisions. His campaign priorities include warehouse development, air quality, truck traffic, municipal expenditures, community development and transparency. These are campaign proposals rather than existing city policies.
Rios has no prior service on the Ontario City Council.
Contact: rios4ontario@gmail.com
Michael Rios for Ontario District 3
Larry Trinidad – Registered Nurse
The Registrar of Voters lists Larry Trinidad’s ballot designation as “Registered Nurse” and qualifies him for the District 3 ballot.
A sufficient candidate biography or independently verified public campaign contact was not located during this review.
No publicly available information is known regarding this candidate.
Alan D. Wapner – Current Council Member
Alan Wapner is the sitting council member in the District 3 race. His current at-large term is set to expire at the end of 2026 and the city lists him as having served on the Ontario City Council for more than 30 years.
Wapner is a retired Ontario police sergeant. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and law degree from Whittier College School of Law. Prior to joining the City Council, he was a member of Ontario-Montclair School Board.
Transportation and aviation have been important areas in his public service. The city says he is the president of Ontario International Airport Authority and serves as a representative of multiple regional transportation associations.
His 2026 campaign cites public safety, infrastructure and airport development among the issues of his council record.
Contact: Ontario City Hall, 303 E. B Street, Ontario; 909-395-2000. His District 3 campaign lists P.O. Box 3424, Ontario, CA 91761 and maintains an online contact form.
Major city projects over four years
2026 election allows voters to evaluate the achievements of Ontario’s government in its current four-year term. Major citywide accomplishments made during a council term are typically products of the votes by the Council and its staff, voter-approved financing and various partners rather than accomplishments of an individual elected official.
Measure Q investments
Ontario voters passed Measure Q in November 2022, increasing the local sales tax rate to 8.75%, from 7.75%. It estimates that the measure generates approximately $60 million annually.
During the current council term, Measure Q revenue funded parks, streets, storm drains, intersections, public facilities and public-safety projects. City maintains a public Measure Q project dashboard and says the revenues are audited annually.
New Fire Station No. 1
Ontario has opened its new Fire Station No. 1 in May 2026 at East D Street and North Sultana Avenue. The two-story, 27,835-square-foot facility has replaced the older fire station on East B Street and contains administrative offices, living and training areas, apparatus bays.
The Fire Department operates 11 fire stations, including airport fire station. The city says it employs 265 Fire Department personnel, including 213 firefighters and 52 professional staff, with 74 firefighters assigned to daily shifts.
The origins of the Ontario EMS system can be traced to its paramedic unit launched in 1976. The department now offers advanced life support units throughout the city, including medic engines, truck companies and airport emergency response.
Police technology and emergency calls
Ontario Police Dispatch receives an average of roughly 314,000 911 and emergency calls annually, resulting in more than 151,500 police responses per year. The communications operation consists of dispatch supervisors, lead dispatchers and 25 police dispatchers.
City has also established Real Time Information Center combining camera systems, databases, drone technology and other information resources to help responding officers and investigators. The city’s Drone as First Responder project is part of the system.
Downtown and Civic Center construction
The Civic Center Campus Expansion has been one of Ontario’s most noticeable public works projects.
A six-story parking structure with around 800 spaces was opened in September 2025. A 60,000-square foot, three-story City Services Building construction has been initiated in February 2026, and is expected to be finished in 2027.
The city also took control of historic Euclid Avenue from the state in June 2024, gaining greater control over future improvements and management of the downtown corridor.
Streets, drainage and sewer infrastructure
The $17 million Sultana Avenue Storm Drain, Sewer and Street Improvement Project has started in 2025. The project involves 12,000 feet of storm drain pipe, more than 1,500 feet of sewer pipe, street surfacing, ADA ramps and other improvements to increase drainage and sewer capacity near downtown.
The city’s capital improvement program covers more than 1,200 lane miles of pavement as the city continues serving its development in established neighborhoods and Ontario Ranch area.
Ontario International Airport continues growing
Ontario International Airport has been one of Ontario’s major regional economic drivers.
ONT carried 7,116,735 passengers in 2025, setting a new record for the airport since its return to local control in 2016. International passenger traffic reached 567,000 passengers, almost 30% higher compared to 2024.
The growth has continued in 2026. During January-July, ONT served more than 4.08 million passengers, 1.3% more compared to the same period in 2025, while international passenger volume increased 37%. Cargo throughput in January-July exceeded 503,000 tons, 7% more than in the corresponding period of 2025.
The airport is operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, a joint powers agency of Ontario and San Bernardino County, rather than solely by the City Council.
ONT Field adds professional baseball
Ontario’s new professional baseball stadium, ONT Field, was named 2026 BaseballParks.com Ballpark of the Year. The stadium is the home of the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The facility has been built as both minor league ballpark and year-round recreational destination and is part of Ontario’s strategy to integrate sports and tourism with economic development.
Recognition as a workplace
City of Ontario has received a 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces award, its third consecutive award through Energage workplace survey program. The city also has a 2026 Top Workplaces for Engineering award and Inland Empire Top Workplace recognition in 2025.
Ontario reports roughly 1,500 full-time and 250 part-time city employees.
Ontario by the numbers
Ontario covers about 50 square miles in southwestern San Bernardino County. The city reports a population of approximately 187,000 people, while the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2025, puts the population of Ontario at 187,013, or 6.7% higher compared to the population as of April 1, 2020.
Census figures for 2020-2024 show median household income of $88,941 and civilian labor force participation of 66.1% among residents age 16 or older. Ontario reported roughly $9.33 billion in retail sales and about $3.73 billion in transportation and warehousing receipts in 2022.
Ontario uses a council-manager form of government. The five-member City Council sets the policy while the city manager, who is appointed by the council, runs city operations. Scott Ochoa is Ontario’s city manager since October 2017 and Darlene Sanchez is the assistant city manager.
Current council consists of Mayor Paul Leon, Mayor Pro Tem Debra Porada and Council Members Alan Wapner, Jim Bowman and Daisy Macias.
From Model Colony to regional employment center
Ontario’s history begins in the early 1880s when Canadian brothers George and William Chaffey purchased more than 6,000 acres and started developing it as a planned agricultural colony.
The Chaffeys attached land ownership to the right to water and designed Euclid Avenue as the north-south boulevard of the community. The Ontario Colony was put on the market in November 1882. Agriculture, especially citrus cultivation, became the basis of economy.
Ontario incorporated on December 10, 1891. The initial territory of the city consisted only of approximately 0.38 square miles. More than a century later the city expanded to nearly 50 square miles.
Aviation would become another distinguishing feature of Ontario. Ontario International Airport began operation in 1923 when aviation operations slowly shifted east to the airport’s location. The airport was used as a military training base during World War II and eventually became a significant passenger and cargo facility of Southern California.
Current Ontario consists of older neighborhoods, its historic downtown area, large commercial centers, the airport, logistics facilities, and rapid residential development in Ontario Ranch.
Ontario Sales Tax Would Increase to 9.25% with Passage of Measure H
In addition to Measure S, every Ontario resident will vote on another ballot measure. It is called the Ontario Public Safety & City Services Measure and is officially known as Measure H.
It proposes a half-cent sales tax. Since the current Ontario local sales tax is 8.75%, passage of the measure will make it 9.25%. The city estimates that Measure H could generate about $32.5 million annually. It requires a simple majority of more than 50% to pass.
City of Ontario information identifies police, fire, and paramedic response, street maintenance and repair, flood prevention measures, affordable housing projects, park improvement, homelessness services, and many others as examples of expenditures that the revenue from Measure H can help fund.
However, there is one key difference that Ontario voters have to understand: Measure H will raise general tax revenue. All funds will be collected by the city of Ontario and will go to the General Fund that is not restricted by any law to be spent only on services named in the campaign material and informational documents. All future City Councils can allocate funds through the annual budget procedure. Revenue will also be audited and disclosed each year.
Measure H is the second city measure after the 2022 Measure Q.
Important voting dates
According to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters website, the key dates for the upcoming election in November are as follows:
September 29: County voter information guides delivery date to U.S. Postal Service.
October 5: Date mail ballots start arriving to active registered voters and early voting begins.
October 19: Voter registration deadline.
October 27: Replacement mail ballot request deadline.
November 3: Voting day.
December 3: Completion date for the county to complete the canvass and certification of the results.
Residents who missed the deadline to register to vote can still use the California conditional voter registration to be able to cast a ballot in person.
Voters have to contact their county’s Registrar of Voters office to learn about polling places, early voting, and drop boxes locations shortly before the election day.
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters office is located at 777 E. Rialto Avenue, San Bernardino, and can be reached at 909-387-8300.
Ontario residents can use the city’s Municipal Elections webpage to find council districts, voting precincts, and links to the county elections information.
Due to a citywide mayoral race, two council districts election, and Measure H requiring residents to decide on increasing Ontario local sales tax, the November 3 Ontario election will determine City Hall and city budget management until 2027.
