Elections are currently held every four years to elect the mayor of Chula Vista, California.
| Election Name: | 1990 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1986 |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
| Candidate1: | Gayle McCandliss |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 21,815 |
| Percentage1: | 73.50% |
| Candidate2: | Bob Piantedosi |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 7,866 |
| Percentage2: | 26.50% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Gregory R. Cox |
| After Election: | Gayle McCandliss |
| Turnout: | 55.77% |
The 1990 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 6, 1990. It saw the election of Gayle McCandliss.
| Election Name: | 1991 Chula Vista special election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1990 |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
| Candidate1: | Tim Nader |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 5,878 |
| Percentage1: | 36.14% |
| Candidate2: | Frank Scott |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 3,355 |
| Percentage2: | 20.63% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Gayle McCandliss |
| After Election: | Tim Nader |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Turnout: | 23.84% |
| Candidate4: | Chris Chase |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 2,753 |
| Percentage4: | 16.93% |
| Candidate5: | Nick Aguilar |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 2,154 |
| Percentage5: | 13.24% |
In January 1991, the incumbent mayor Gayle McCandliss died of cancer. A special election for the mayor position was held on June 4, 1991. It ended with the election of Tim Nader, a member of the city council.[1]
| Election Name: | 1994 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1991 |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| Candidate1: | Shirley Horton |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 10,248 |
| Percentage1: | 50.73% |
| Candidate2: | Penny Allen |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 6,778 |
| Percentage2: | 33.55% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Tim Nader |
| Before Party: | Democratic |
| After Election: | Shirley Horton |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Turnout: | 36.71% |
| Candidate4: | Bob Piantedosi |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 1,660 |
| Percentage4: | 8.22% |
| Candidate5: | Wayne Thomas Tucker |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,516 |
| Percentage5: | 7.50% |
The 1994 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on June 7, 1994. The incumbent mayor Tim Nader did not seek reelection. Shirley Horton, a member of the city council, won the mayoral office with more than 50% of the votes in the primary election.
| Election Name: | 1998 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Candidate1: | Shirley Horton |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 17,991 |
| Percentage1: | 71.82% |
| Candidate2: | Carolyn A. Malcolm |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,664 |
| Percentage2: | 10.63% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Shirley Horton |
| Before Party: | Republican |
| After Election: | Shirley Horton |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Turnout: | 40.74% |
| Candidate4: | Bob Piantedosi |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 1,881 |
| Percentage4: | 7.51% |
| Candidate5: | Petra E. Barajas |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,840 |
| Percentage5: | 7.35% |
The 1998 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on June 2, 1998. Incumbent mayor Shirley Horton secured her second term as mayor with over 70% of the votes in the primary election.
| Election Date: | (P) (G) |
| Election Name: | 2002 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1998 |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
| Turnout: | 33.3% (P) 48.8% (G) |
| Candidate1: | Steve Padilla |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 10,519 (P) 19,000 (G) |
| Percentage1: | 47.3% (P) 53.8% (G) |
| Candidate2: | Mary Salas |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 10,699 (P) 16,304 (G) |
| Percentage2: | 48.1% (P) 46.1% (G) |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Shirley Horton |
| Before Party: | Republican |
| After Election: | Steve Padilla |
| After Party: | Democratic |
| Candidate3: | Petra E. Barajas |
| Party3: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote3: | 996 |
| Percentage3: | 4.4% |
The 2002 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent mayor Shirley Horton could not run for reelection due to term limit. Steve Padilla, a member of the city council, won the election.
| Election Date: | (P) (G) |
| Election Name: | 2006 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2002 |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Turnout: | 37.29% (P) 57.15% (G) |
| Candidate1: | Cheryl Cox |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 11,394 (P) 23,124 (G) |
| Percentage1: | 40.52% (P) 54.07% (G) |
| Candidate2: | Steve Padilla |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 8,681 (P) 19,509 (G) |
| Percentage2: | 30.87% (P) 45.61% (G) |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Steve Padilla |
| Before Party: | Democratic |
| After Election: | Cheryl Cox |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Candidate4: | Steve Castaneda |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 6,978 |
| Percentage4: | 24.81% |
| Candidate5: | Ricardo Macias |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 527 |
| Percentage5: | 1.87% |
The 2006 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 7, 2006. A primary election was held on June 6. Incumbent mayor Steve Padilla ran for reelection, but was defeated by Cheryl Cox, an administrator of Chula Vista Elementary School District.
| Election Name: | 2010 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2006 |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Turnout: | 38.03% |
| Candidate1: | Cheryl Cox |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 18,771 |
| Percentage1: | 56.31% |
| Candidate2: | Steve Castaneda |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 9,886 |
| Percentage2: | 29.66% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Cheryl Cox |
| Before Party: | Republican |
| After Election: | Cheryl Cox |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Candidate3: | Jorge Dominguez |
| Party3: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote3: | 4,561 |
| Percentage3: | 13.68% |
The 2010 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on June 8, 2010. This primary election resulted in the reelection of Cheryl Cox, as she gained over 50% of the votes.
| Election Date: | (P) (G) |
| Election Name: | 2014 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
| Turnout: | 27.23% (P) 44.76% (G) |
| Candidate1: | Mary Salas |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 9,808 (P) 19,995 (G) |
| Percentage1: | 44.07% (P) 52.87% (G) |
| Candidate2: | Jerry R. Rindone |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 8,638 (P) 17,827 (G) |
| Percentage2: | 38.82% (P) 47.13% (G) |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Cheryl Cox |
| Before Party: | Republican |
| After Election: | Mary Salas |
| After Party: | Democratic |
| Candidate3: | Pamela Bensoussan |
| Party3: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote3: | 3,732 |
| Percentage3: | 16.77% |
The 2014 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 4, 2014. It saw the election of Mary Salas, a member of the city council.
The incumbent mayor Cheryl Cox did not seek reelection due to term limit. A primary election took place on June 3 to determine the two candidates for the general election.
| Election Date: | (P) (G) |
| Election Name: | 2018 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2014 |
| Next Year: | 2022 |
| Turnout: | 39.8% (P) 66.4% (G) |
| Candidate1: | Mary Salas |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 24,572 (P) 54,062 (G) |
| Percentage1: | 62.68% (P) 71.86% (G) |
| Candidate2: | Hector Gastelum |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 6,676 (P) 21,175 (G) |
| Percentage2: | 17.03% (P) 28.14% (G) |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Mary Salas |
| Before Party: | Democratic |
| After Election: | Mary Salas |
| After Party: | Democratic |
| Candidate4: | Daniel Schreck |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 4,408 |
| Percentage4: | 11.24% |
| Candidate5: | Arthur Kende |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 3,547 |
| Percentage5: | 9.05% |
The 2018 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 6, 2018. A primary election was held on June 5 to select the candidates for the general election on November. Mary Salas, the incumbent mayor, won the reelection to her second term.[2]
| Election Date: | (P) (G) |
| Election Name: | 2022 Chula Vista mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Chula Vista, California.svg |
| Type: | mayoral |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2018 |
| Next Year: | 2026 |
| Turnout: | 34.9% (P) 54.2% (G) |
| Candidate1: | John McCann |
| Party1: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 13,580 (P) 33,992 (G) |
| Percentage1: | 30.82% (P) 52.08% (G) |
| Candidate2: | Ammar Campa-Najjar |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 9,943 (P) 31,280 (G) |
| Percentage2: | 22.56% (P) 47.92% (G) |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Mary Salas |
| Before Party: | Democratic |
| After Election: | John McCann |
| After Party: | Republican |
| Candidate4: | Jill M. Galvez |
| Party4: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote4: | 8,689 |
| Percentage4: | 19.72% |
| Candidate5: | Zaneta Encarnacion |
| Party5: | Nonpartisan politician |
| Popular Vote5: | 5,974 |
| Percentage5: | 13.56% |
The 2022 Chula Vista mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022. John McCann, a member of the city council, won the election.[3]
Incumbent mayor Mary Salas could not seek reelection due to term limit. A primary election was held on June 7, 2022.