Mayor, District 3 and District 4 races put the Town’s recent record before voters
APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (High Desert News Online) — In 2026, residents of Apple Valley will elect a mayor and members of Town Council Districts 3 and 4 in the general election on November 3, 2026. Elections will enable the voters of the Town to compare the Town’s performance regarding transportation, public safety, parks, neighborhood improvements, and growth compared to what challengers offer in terms of priorities.
According to the latest unofficial candidate report by the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters (August 18), there are three candidates for the mayoral office and two candidates for each District 3 and District 4. As the Town is incorporated as a town, the governing body is the Town Council, rather than City Council.
Three candidates compete for the mayor’s office
In the election for the mayor, the incumbent Scott Nassif is facing two opponents: David Dencker and Robert Andrew Lucero. The county’s candidate report lists the ballot designation for Dencker as construction safety coordinator. Nassif is a business owner and mayor, whereas Lucero is an artist. All three candidates are noted to have met the nomination-signature requirement.
Scott Nassif is running for the second two-year term as mayor. He was elected on November 5, 2024, which was the third time he held the mayor’s office (as an independently elected official). While the four councilmembers (representatives of Districts 1-4) serve a four-year term, the independent mayor of the Town of Apple Valley is elected for two years.
District 3: Leon is challenged by Bohanon
In District 3, the incumbent Kari Lynn Leon is challenged by Ted Bohanon. The county’s report lists Leon’s ballot designation as business owner and councilwoman, while Bohanon’s ballot designation is retired. Both are noted to have met nomination requirements. Kari Leon was elected to the District 3 seat on November 8, 2022, and this year she seeks reelection after finishing her current four-year term.
District 4: Emick is challenged by Rutledge
In District 4, the incumbent Curt Emick is challenged by Matthew Rutledge. The ballot designation for Emick is councilmember and pharmacist, while the ballot designation for Rutledge is substitute teacher. Both candidates are noted to meet the nomination requirement according to the county’s report of August 18. Emick was elected to District 4 on November 8, 2022, and this year is completing his four-year term.
Notes on the candidate roster and ballots
The county roster of candidates is still called unofficial. The August 18 report had not specified yet the candidates for the finalized ballot. That is why the report serves only the purpose of providing the information about the candidate qualifications and nominations, and does not represent the official election materials. Voters should check again the candidate information when election materials become finalized.
Redrawing of Apple Valley’s landscape of representation
This is the second regular election cycle for Districts 3 and 4 according to the electoral map of the Town. As a result of the redistricting after the 2020 Census, in April 2022, the Town Council adopted a new map, and beginning with the November 8, 2022 election, Apple Valley operates with four council districts and the independent mayor’s position. Districts 3 and 4, as well as the mayor’s position, appeared on the ballot in 2022.
That is why Leon and Emick are seeking their second four-year district terms under the current map. Meanwhile, the current two-year term of Nassif is shorter, as it began after the 2024 election, although he has a long-term experience in Apple Valley government.
Apple Valley’s growth since its incorporation
Apple Valley became an incorporated Town in 1988, evolving from rural High Desert area into a residential and commercial hub of the Victor Valley. The majority of Apple Valley’s growth took place after World War II in the area promoted for housing, recreation, and tourism.
What has been accomplished in the four-year term of the council
To evaluate the record of the incumbents, it is necessary to analyze the period from the election of Leon and Emick in 2022 until 2026. Here are some projects that reflect the achievements of Apple Valley Townwide and the actions of the Town Council, staff, voters and the outside funding partners, and which cannot be attributed to the single incumbent.
– About $10 million in the street safety funding obtained. In January 2026, Apple Valley announced the $9.9 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant for the Complete Streets project. With the additional $2.5 million local Measure I funding, the project totals almost $12.4 million for improvements along 3.4 miles of Dale Evans Parkway, Thunderbird Road and Otoe Road, including pedestrian and bicycle improvements, ADA curb ramps, safer crossings, traffic calming, and intersection work. The Town of Apple Valley adopted its Complete Streets Action Plan in June 2025.
– Major rehabilitation of the Bear Valley Road bridge over the Mojave River proceeded. The rehabilitation includes widening shoulders, installation of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, the pedestrian pathway, lighting and seismic improvements of the bridge built in 1963 and widened in 1988. The right-of-way certification was completed in August 2024, then followed by the authorization of the construction by the Caltrans in May 2025. The construction was scheduled to start in December 2025 and go through 2028.
– Neighborhood-service and accessibility improvements continued. The 2024-2025 report of the federal community development demonstrated the substantial completion of the ADA Village North Sidewalk Improvement Project, six federally funded public-service activities benefiting 619 residents, and residential rehabilitation assistance for six owner-occupied households, along with food, utility, fair-housing and senior programs.
– New community park opened. Captain Joseph McConnell Jr. USAF Park was expected to open in late 2025, providing an aviation-themed playground, baseball and soccer fields, picnic areas, walking paths and open space to the recreation options of the Town.
– Measure P adopted and the long-term oversight and safety planning started. In 2024, the voters of Apple Valley adopted Measure P to authorize the 1% local sales tax to fund the municipal services, including public safety. In May 2025, the first Meeting of the Measure P Oversight Committee took place, and preliminary plans include increasing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s staffing in Apple Valley, including patrol, traffic, investigations, and special assignments. The tax was approved by voters, and the Town develops spending and oversight plans.
– Apple Valley Animal Shelter to remain in the Town’s control. In July 2025, the Town Council decided not to transfer the Apple Valley Animal Shelter to the San Bernardino County but to retain it under the Town’s control.
Not everything done is done
It should be noted that the four-year period includes also ongoing projects, which is very important for the voters in evaluating the promises of the candidates. The funds for the Complete Streets project were allocated and the construction will take place in the future, as there were no construction dates announced in January 2026. The rehabilitation of Bear Valley Road bridge will proceed through 2028. The effects of Measure P will be realized in the long run and spending and oversight plans are being developed now.
Thus, in addition to evaluation of achievements, the 2026 election will be a choice of the direction, financing and implementation of projects to continue after the current council term.
Growth as a backdrop
The issue of the growth continues to be pressing in Apple Valley. It affects the housing issues, transportation, staffing of the public safety department, water, maintenance of the infrastructure and the access to the parks and other services. For example, Ocotilla Ranch, located near Central Road and Standing Rock Avenue, demonstrates the ongoing private development in the area – the 128-home project.
This situation gives additional meaning to the 2026 elections, as Leon and Emick seek reelection to continue the chosen direction during their 2022-2026 term, and Bohanon and Rutledge are going to propose their priorities for Districts 3 and 4. The election of the mayor includes choosing between Nassif, Dencker and Lucero to lead Apple Valley for two years up to 2028.
Election day is November 3
The filing period was July 13 to August 7. Ballots are planned to be mailed out starting from October 5, and the voter registration deadline is October 19. The election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
For the voters of Apple Valley, the campaign will focus on continuity vs. new representation. The four-year record of the Town regarding the infrastructure funding, public safety, parks, accessibility improvements, and management of the growth, will be discussed in detail during the campaign.
