Rodriguez Leads Bush in National City Mayor Race

Early unofficial results show Jose Rodriguez with a commanding first-round lead over Marcus Bush in the city's mayoral contest.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain civic building facade with a tall flagpole against a pale sky, in navy and cream. — Early unofficial results show Jose Rodriguez leading Marcus Bush 55% to 32% in the National City mayoral race as the city faces a $13 million budget deficit. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Jose Rodriguez took an early lead in the National City mayoral race, with first-round unofficial results showing him at 55% of the vote. Marcus Bush trailed with 32%, while community organizer Jacobb Castrejon received 6%.

Why it matters

If Rodriguez's lead holds, he would become the first Latino mayor of National City, following Alejandra Sotelo-Solis, who in 2018 became the city's first Latina mayor. The race comes as the council faces a $13 million structural budget deficit that could draw state intervention.

The first unofficial round showed Rodriguez at 55%, Bush at 32%, and Castrejon at 6%. These figures are preliminary, and the reported questions about Rodriguez's educational background on a city application remain unresolved.

The players

Jose Rodriguez

Jose Rodriguez is a candidate in the National City mayoral race who led the first round of unofficial results.

Marcus Bush

Marcus Bush is a candidate in the National City mayoral race who received 32% of the first-round unofficial vote and was endorsed by current Mayor Ron Morrison.

Ron Morrison

Ron Morrison is the current mayor of National City who endorsed Marcus Bush in the mayoral race.

Doug Schulze

Doug Schulze is the National City city manager who warned the council that a state trustee could take over if the budget problems are not solved.

The details

The first round of unofficial results was released Tuesday night, with voters lining up around the corner of the National City Public Library, one of the city's voting centers. Current Mayor Ron Morrison endorsed Bush, and City Manager Doug Schulze has warned the council that a state trustee could take power over their positions if the city cannot solve its budget problems.

2018: Alejandra Sotelo-Solis elected as National City's first Latina mayor.
Tuesday night, November 3, 2026: First round of unofficial results released.

Political Context

The 2018 election of Alejandra Sotelo-Solis as National City's first Latina mayor set a local precedent for Latino representation in city leadership. If Jose Rodriguez holds his lead, the race would extend that trajectory to the city's first Latino mayor, while the council's $13 million budget deficit remains the central pressure on whoever takes office.

Residents of National City will see a new mayor selected in this race, and the outcome will shape how the council responds to the $13 million structural deficit. The reported questions about a candidate's education claims may also factor into how voters weigh the final certified results.

The takeaway

Local elections can carry outsized consequences when a city faces financial pressure, and the outcome here will determine who leads that response. Voters should track certified results as they replace the unofficial early figures.