Costa Mesa's mayoral race was still too close to call as of Thursday night, but Councilmember Mike Buley held a lead over fellow councilmember Loren Gameros that, if it holds, would make him the city's first elected Republican mayor. The margin stood at 52.71% to 47.29%, with Orange County election officials still working through thousands of uncounted ballots.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Orange County had just 21,640 votes left to count across the entire county as of Thursday, meaning the Costa Mesa results could still shift before certification. Buley currently represents District 1, while Gameros represents District 2, and the two faced off for the seat currently held by Mayor John Stephens. Buley is a 60-year-old trial attorney and father of three who joined the council two years before the race, and has said he did not expect to run for mayor so soon, originally expecting to serve a full four-year council term before seeking the top job.
Buley has described the opportunity differently now that it is in front of him, saying he views becoming mayor as a calling and a chance to give back to Costa Mesa, per the same Los Angeles Times report. Gameros, a Democrat, ran on a platform centered on investing in the city workforce, improving park access and addressing residents' needs. He pointed to his role in removing boulders from the Paularino Park playing field in 2023 — boulders that had been preventing children from playing soccer there — and to the opening of Luke Davis Field to families on the city's west side as evidence of what he's delivered for constituents.
A Pointed Exchange Between Rivals
Gameros did not hide his disappointment in the closing stretch of the race. He said he was bitter about losing but would not bring that bitterness to the council dais, while also saying Buley is a great guy even as he questioned what Buley had actually done to benefit the community, according to the Los Angeles Times account of the race.
If Buley's lead holds and he moves into the mayor's office in December, his departure from the District 1 seat would leave a vacancy on the council. Under California Elections Code section 10229, as published by California Legislative Information, a city's governing body may make an appointment or direct a special election in the affected territory after the fifth day following the required posting or publication — though that statutory text alone does not determine which option Costa Mesa will ultimately take.
Other Council Races Still Tightening
Buley's potential win is just one piece of a broader reshuffling atop Costa Mesa's dais. In District 4, Democrat and planning commissioner Angely Andrade Vallarta led arts commissioner Fisher Derderian with 71.12% of voter approval as of Thursday. In District 5, parks commissioner Kelly Brown, who is endorsed by Democrats, led Republican and Animal Services Committee member Steve Smith, 57.72% to 42.28%.
The closest contest by far was in District 3, where Democrat and Animal Services Committee member Cara Stewart was edging conservative Finance and Pension Advisory Committee member Daniel Morgan by just 37 votes. Those numbers mark a shift from results reported earlier in the count: an Orange County Register report from Nov. 4 had shown Buley leading Gameros with 54% of the vote and Stewart leading Morgan with 51%, underscoring how much the tallies have moved as additional ballots were processed.
A Council Already in Flux
Costa Mesa's council currently leans left, 5-2, but that composition could shift once final counts are certified and the District 1 vacancy question is resolved. The Orange County Register reported Nov. 4 that the city was guaranteed four new representatives on its seven-member council once all votes were counted, a turnover that will reshape the body regardless of how the mayor's race concludes.
Buley pointed to the council's handling of the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan as proof the body can still function across party lines. He called it a great example of how a non-partisan, properly functioning council should work, referencing the plan the council approved unanimously on Sept. 15 after what the Los Angeles Times described as extensive consensus-building among colleagues, staff and stakeholders. That plan included compromises, potential future negotiations with the state, and input gathered through public town halls.
Housing, Immigration and Cameras Still on the Table
Whoever ends up leading the council will inherit a packed agenda. The city's plans include crafting a balanced vision for the future use and protection of Fairview Park alongside tackling housing affordability, ICE detentions and Flock surveillance cameras, per the Los Angeles Times.
The scale of the housing challenge was laid out in earlier coverage. The Orange County Register reported in October that the city's housing plan outlines how 11,760 new homes can be built by 2029, with the council-approved Fairview Developmental Center guidelines allowing for up to 2,300 of those units. Voice of OC reported around the same time that Costa Mesa had already permitted more than 550 state-mandated units, with the 2,300-unit Fairview allotment meant to help close the gap toward the 11,760-unit target before the 2029 deadline.
City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly has also been credited with bringing citizen-led commissions and committees more directly into civic matters, a shift that has shaped how candidates like Andrade Vallarta, Brown, Smith, Stewart and Morgan built their public profiles before running for council seats. With thousands of ballots still to be counted countywide, Costa Mesa residents will likely need to wait before any of Thursday's leads become official.
