Wildomar Could Appoint Unopposed City Council Nominees In Lieu Of November Election

WILDOMAR, CA —Two Wildomar City Council members could secure new four-year terms without appearing on the November ballot after no challengers qualified to run against them. The District 5 City Council election would continue as scheduled, with incumbent Ashlee DeFillippo and challenger Pedro Magdaleno vying for that city council seat.

During a special meeting planned for Tuesday, the Wildomar City Council will consider appointing Carlos Marquez to the District 1 seat and Joseph Morabito to the District 3 seat in lieu of holding elections for those two offices.

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The council could alternatively allow both contests to proceed as scheduled during the Nov. 3 General Municipal Election, according to a city staff report.

Both Marquez and Morabito were the only candidates to complete the qualification process in their respective districts before the nomination period closed earlier this month, City Clerk Janet Morales Garcia stated in her report.

"Under California Elections Code Section 10229, when no more than one person is nominated for an office elected by district, the City Council may appoint the sole nominee or direct that the election be held," Garcia stated.

If the appointments are approved, Marquez and Morabito would take office and serve exactly as if voters had elected them. Their names would not appear on the ballot for those council seats, and the city clerk would no longer accept write-in candidate filings for the two contests.

The District 5 City Council election would continue as scheduled.

The decision carries a financial impact for Wildomar, as Riverside County charges the city approximately $3.50 per registered voter for each district in which a City Council contest appears on the ballot, according to the report.

Canceling the District 1 election is expected to save approximately $14,000, while canceling the District 3 election could save another $16,000. The total estimated savings would be $30,000.

"The council must adopt the appointment resolution by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, according to . If it does not, both elections will proceed, Marquez's and Morabito's names will remain on the ballot, and eligible write-in candidates will be accepted under state election rules.

The city published a notice Aug. 12 announcing that an insufficient number of candidates had qualified in Districts 1 and 3. State law requires the council to wait until at least five days after the notice is published before making the appointments.

Wildomar's 2026 election information shows that the District 1, 3 and 5 seats were scheduled for election this year. Candidates were required to live in and be registered to vote in the district they sought to represent.

Marquez was first elected to represent District 1 in 2022, succeeding former Council Member Ben Benoit after Benoit was elected Riverside County auditor-controller. Morabito also won reelection that year, according to the certified 2022 election results.

Wildomar has previously used appointments to fill City Council seats.

In 2022, the council appointed Ashlee DePhillippo to represent District 5 following longtime Council Member Marsha Swanson's resignation. This year's District 5 election will take place as DePhillippo is challenged by Pedro Magdaleno. Magdaleno returned his nomination papers and qualified for the election on Aug. 7.

Tuesday's special meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Wildomar City Hall Council Chambers, 23873 Clinton Keith Road, Suite 106. Meeting agendas and video access are available through the city's Agendas, Videos and Watch Live page.