San Luis election takes shape, voters set to choose mayor and council members

San Luis voters are moving toward a 2026 municipal election that will decide one mayoral seat and three City Council seats, a contest already taking shape around deadlines, names and the city’s next four years of leadership. The primary is set for Tuesday, July 21, after the city moved the date from Aug. 4 under House Bill 2022. If no race is settled in the primary, the general election follows on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The calendar now matters as much as the candidate list. Voter registration closes June 22 at 11:59 p.m., early voting begins June 24 and the last day to request a ballot by mail is July 10. On Election Day, San Luis residents may vote at any location within Yuma County, including the Yuma County Library - San Luis Branch and the San Luis Medical Mall. Only registered voters living inside San Luis city limits can participate in the city election.

San Luis elects a seven-member, non-partisan council at large, with the mayor and council members serving four-year terms and no term limits. The seats on the 2026 ballot will expire in December 2030, a detail that gives this cycle direct bearing on city decisions about land use, infrastructure, economic growth and public trust for the rest of the decade.

The field is already visible. Tadeo Azael De La Hoya announced his mayoral campaign on March 17. He is currently a City Council member and president of the Gadsden School District Governing Board. His priorities include public safety, economic growth, education and opportunities for local families. Brian De La Hoya is also seeking a council seat under the slogan Liderazgo que renueva. He is 27, a student of administration, an independent journalist, an educator and a member of the State Democratic Committee. He has said his focus is education, youth opportunity, local jobs, more green public spaces and greater transparency in city government, including the idea of pursuing a full university campus in San Luis.

City election pages list other recognized candidates and potential candidates, including Luisa Arreola, Jarmy Rodriguez, Ernesto Bermudez, Matias Rosales, Antonio Carrillo, Erik Luzanilla, Octavio Ramirez, Nieves Riedel, Javier Vargas and Ruben Walshe Peralta. Yuma County election officials place San Luis among the city and town races on the 2026 ballot, signaling a local contest that is likely to draw close attention in a city incorporated in 1979 and now estimated at 37,337 residents, up from 35,257 in the 2020 Census.