Lee Thomas Leads San Leandro District 3 Race
Early returns show former councilmember Lee Thomas ahead of Joseph Trujillo in the city's first district-based council election.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Lee Thomas held about 60% of the vote in early returns for San Leandro's District 3 City Council seat, while Joseph Trujillo had about 40%. The results come from the Nov. 3 election, which was held under a district-based system after voters approved Measure F in June.
Why it matters
Ballots for the four open council seats erroneously presented the races as at-large, even though Measure F changed the city to district-based elections. City and county officials say the election can proceed as planned and that every vote will be certified properly.
Early returns show Lee Thomas at about 60% and Joseph Trujillo at about 40% for District 3. Certified totals by precinct from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters are still pending.
The players
Alameda County Registrar of Voters
The county office responsible for administering elections and certifying vote totals for Alameda County, including San Leandro.
Lee Thomas
A former San Leandro City Council member who led early returns for the District 3 seat.
Joseph Trujillo
A California Department of Water Resources manager who trailed Lee Thomas in early returns for District 3.
The details
Early returns were published on the Alameda County Registrar of Voters' website. The city will use precinct totals to calculate votes within each council district, and the county will provide certified results.
Timeline
June: Voters approved Measure F, changing San Leandro council races to district-based elections.
Nov. 3, 2026: City Council election held, with early returns reported.
Legal Context
The election is the first to run under the district-based system approved by Measure F in June, which replaced citywide at-large voting for council seats. The ballot error means the transition from at-large to district elections did not carry through to the printed races.
Voters in San Leandro's four open council districts will see the results of a system change that Measure F approved in June. Residents should check certified results from the county for final outcomes in their district.
The takeaway
The San Leandro election shows that a major voting-system change requires careful ballot preparation, since the printed races did not match the district-based system voters approved. Readers should watch for certified precinct totals to confirm the final outcome.
What happens next
Certified vote totals by precinct are expected from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters after the count is finalized.
Further reading
Follow the latest results in the San Leandro Elections section for more context on council races.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Local News Matters.
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