For the First Time, District 3 Will Choose Its Own Councilmember

Ontario's transition to district elections means the November 2026 election belongs to District 3 voters — not any incumbent, political faction, or presumed successor.

For the first time in Ontario's history, residents of District 3 will have the opportunity this November to elect a City Councilmember specifically to represent their neighborhoods.

That distinction matters.

For generations, Ontario elected its City Councilmembers at large. Candidates for the four Council seats were elected by voters throughout the city rather than by residents of individual geographic districts.

That system changed in December 2022, when the Ontario City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3224, transitioning the City from at-large Council elections to a by-district system.

Under the new system, Ontario remains one city, but Councilmembers are elected by the residents of the districts they represent. Districts 1 and 4 participated in the first phase of that transition in 2024. In November 2026, residents of Districts 2 and 3 will have their opportunity to elect their Council representatives by district.

For District 3, that makes this election historic.

District 3 is not an incumbent's district seat being inherited, transferred or handed down.

It belongs to the voters.

The distinction may sound technical, but it represents a significant change in how local representation works.

Under Ontario's former at-large system, a Councilmember could live in one part of Ontario while being elected by voters throughout the entire city. Under the new by-district system, the voters living within each district determine who will represent that district on the City Council.

That creates a different relationship between residents and their representative.

District elections place greater emphasis on neighborhood-level concerns, accessibility and accountability. Residents have an identifiable Councilmember elected by the people of their district, while that Councilmember remains responsible for governing in the best interests of Ontario as a whole.

This November, District 3 voters will establish that relationship for the first time.

Recent discussion surrounding the 2026 election has sometimes described the contest as one to succeed Mayor Pro Tem Alan Wapner in his District 3 seat.

The shorthand is understandable. Wapner is a longtime member of the Ontario City Council, currently resides within District 3 and is serving during the City's transition to district elections.

But there is an important historical distinction.

Wapner was elected under Ontario's former at-large electoral system. The voters of District 3 have never previously held an election in which they alone selected a Councilmember specifically to represent District 3.

That distinction matters when characterizing the race. The Champion Newspapers, in its August 8, 2026 report on the fallout from the FBI raids affecting local politics, described the situation this way: Jonathan Hagman "wanted to run for Mr. Wapner's District 3 seat." That framing — while reflecting common shorthand — is historically imprecise. Wapner holds a citywide seat that happens to be assigned to District 3 during the transition. He was never elected by District 3 voters alone. The seat does not belong to him, and it will not pass to a successor. It will be filled for the first time by the voters of District 3 themselves.

The November 2026 election therefore represents more than a change in officeholders.

It represents the beginning of district representation itself for this part of Ontario.

That history belongs to every District 3 voter.

The significance of district representation extends beyond lines drawn on a map.

It asks a more fundamental question: What should it mean to represent a neighborhood?

For me, the answer begins with listening.

Long before Election Day, residents deserve opportunities to talk about what they see happening on their streets and in their neighborhoods: public safety, traffic, infrastructure, parks, emergency preparedness, housing, responsible growth and the everyday quality-of-life issues that rarely make headlines but determine how people experience their city.

Those conversations matter because District 3 is not simply an electoral boundary.

It is a collection of neighborhoods, families, businesses, schools, parks and community institutions. Each has a stake in Ontario's future.

As an Ontario Planning Commissioner, I have had the privilege of participating in decisions involving the growth and development of our city. That service has reinforced something I believe deeply: good civic leadership requires understanding both where a community is going and the people who already call it home.

The City of Ontario describes its Planning Commission as providing community leadership on local planning and development policy, advising the City Council and reviewing development proposals as Ontario continues to grow.

That work has given me a front-row view of both Ontario's extraordinary opportunities and the responsibility that comes with them.

My decision to seek the District 3 Council seat was not based on who else might run, who might retire or what political opportunity might become available.

District 3 was never my second choice.

It is where I chose to begin this campaign because I believe its residents deserve leadership rooted in service, accessibility and a genuine understanding of the community.

Ontario is entering an important period in its history. Our population continues to grow. New neighborhoods are taking shape. Major investments in infrastructure, transportation, housing, economic development and public facilities will influence the city for generations.

Those opportunities also create responsibilities.

Growth must be accompanied by infrastructure. Development must consider public safety and quality of life. Economic strength should translate into opportunity for residents. And government must remain accessible enough that people believe their participation matters.

Those are not abstract campaign themes to me. They are questions I have encountered through public service, community work and conversations with residents.

There will undoubtedly be considerable discussion between now and November about candidates, endorsements, political relationships and who may succeed whom.

Those conversations are part of elections.

But they should never obscure the most important fact about this one.

For the first time, District 3 gets to choose.

Not political insiders.

Not an incumbent.

Not a presumed successor.

The residents of District 3.

Every eligible voter will have an equal opportunity to decide what kind of representation they want, what priorities matter most and whom they trust to carry their voice into City Hall.

That is what makes the 2026 election consequential.

We are not simply choosing the next person to occupy a seat on the Ontario City Council.

Together, District 3 residents are defining what district representation will mean from its very beginning.

That is an opportunity worth recognizing — and a responsibility worth taking seriously.

District 3 is not anyone's seat. It's your seat.

And this November, for the first time, the choice belongs entirely to you.