RICKY JAMESOceanside City Council · District 2
Oceanside City Council · District 2 · 2026

This is home.
And it's worth fighting for.

I'm Ricky James, and I'm running for Oceanside City Council in District 2. Not to play politics — but to take on the challenges we all see every day, with honest leadership that answers to residents and negotiates with developers through relationships, not contributions.

My Priorities
Ricky James

“Let's make Oceanside's potential a reality, together.”

Ricky James with his family in Oceanside
About Ricky

A neighbor who shows up

I love this city — its coastline, its open space, and the working families who make it home. But lately I've watched decisions get made that leave residents out of the conversation: land carved up behind closed doors, promises to our community quietly dropped, and trails and parks left to decline.

I'm not a career politician. I'm a neighbor who got tired of hearing "that's just how politics work." I believe you can be pro-growth and still demand that developers negotiate in good faith and deliver projects our community actually wants — instead of bulldozing past the people who live here.

I also know our trails, parks, and paths in a way most candidates don't. I navigate them from a wheelchair — and I'm out there with my family, towing my son behind my handcycle on the San Luis Rey River Trail. When I say our paths need to actually work and our public spaces need to be safe and accessible for everyone, I mean it from experience.

Over the coming months I'll be knocking on doors, showing up at your events, and listening. This campaign isn't about me — it's about us.

— Ricky James

Your Neighborhood

This is District 2

North and northeast Oceanside — North Valley, Morro Hills, Guajome, Arrowood, and the San Luis Rey River corridor. If you live here, I'm running to represent you.

Map of Oceanside City Council District 2 highlighted in gold over an aerial view of north Oceanside

Oceanside City Council District 2 — adopted boundary (Finalist Map C).

My Priorities

Some of my priorities for a better Oceanside

Real problems deserve real solutions — not empty promises. Here's what I'll fight for on day one.

Independent — Nonpartisan

I don't intend to be the councilmember residents read about for the wrong reasons. No conflicts of interest, no backroom deals, no party loyalty tests — just steady, independent judgment on behalf of residents.

Fiscal Discipline — No New Taxes

The City's answer to years of budget strain is asking residents for a 0.5% sales tax increase. I think that's backwards — it hits young families and seniors on fixed incomes hardest, and it lets the City avoid fixing how it spends before asking residents for more.

Reachable Councilmember

Too many residents only hear from their councilmember at election time. I'll hold real office hours, show up where residents already are, and explain City decisions in plain language before they're made — not after.

Smart Development

I'm pro-growth — but growth that fits our roads, water, and services, not approvals rushed through because a developer asked first. The General Plan Update left South Morro Hills without its own Community Plan, and I'm committed to getting one established — so residents there have an actual, adopted plan for how the area grows, not decisions made project by project.

Protect and promote the assets that set us apart

No other North County coastal city has what we have. We should treat these as the competitive advantage they are — maintaining them, showcasing them, and building our identity and economy around them:

  • Oceanside Harbor
  • The Pier
  • Municipal Airport
  • Municipal Golf Course
  • Direct access to Camp Pendleton
  • First & last stop from Orange County
  • San Luis Rey River Trail
  • Playgrounds on the beach
  • Sprinter & Coaster transit stations
  • Frontwave Arena
  • Closest beach access to Temecula

A clean campaign — no strings attached

Municipal politics should run on honest relationships and reasonable compromise that protects residents. My vow is simple: I won't solicit or accept money that comes with an agenda. That starts with developers seeking approvals and vendors chasing city contracts — but it doesn't end there. I'll hold the same hesitation toward activists, non-profit organizations, political parties, and PACs looking to advance an agenda through my seat. When I take my seat on the City Council, I'll answer to residents, not to whoever wrote the biggest check.

So how will I fund a campaign? With a strong message, efficiency, genuine relationships, and transparency — not a war chest. I want to stay as neutral and open-minded as possible, so I can offer the most rational and unbiased judgment on every decision that comes before me. I'll treat my campaign's finances the way I'll treat the City's: carefully, efficiently, and strategically. Money alone won't always solve a problem — motive, discernment, and honesty are more effective.

A note from Ricky

Your time and your name mean more to me than your money

I'm not asking for your money — I'm asking for your support. I hope to do what I set out to do on the strength of this community.

I wish giving could be anonymous, but the law requires it to be reported — just like my expenses. I want it that way. Transparency is the whole point.

If I ever recognize a contribution from a developer or anything that looks like a conflict of interest, I'll send it back so I can stay unbiased. And if you spot a possible conflict, please bring it to my attention so I can address it.

Putting my money where my mouth is

I've filed a Partial Salary Waiver with the City of Oceanside

Pursuant to Article I.5, Section 2.1.70(d) of the Oceanside City Code and California Government Code Section 36516(f), I've formally notified the City Treasurer that I'm waiving part of my Council salary.

$1,200/mo
the most I'll accept in total compensation
~$2,152/mo
waived & returned to the City's General Fund

Oceanside Council compensation runs about $3,352 a month — $2,802.49 in base salary, plus roughly $350 for Community Development Commission meetings and about $200 for Harbor District meetings. I'll keep no more than $1,200; the remaining ~$2,152 every month goes, by law, to the General Fund for the City to use at its discretion.

Read the actual letter (PDF)
Transparency

Who's funding the District 2 race

I believe you have a right to know who's funding the people who represent you. Every contribution to every Oceanside campaign is public record — and you can look it up yourself in seconds.

Look up any Oceanside campaign filing on the City's eFile system →
Live tracker · updated August 27, 2026

The 2026 race — to date

District 2, City of Oceanside · all 5 qualified candidates · contributions reported via the City's eFile system
Ricky James$3,373
No PACs, No Developers, No Organizations, No Vendors, No Clubs. No Conflicts-of-Interest.
Rick Robinson$25,308
Re-Elect Rick Robinson 2026 committee — raised through August 13, 2026
Emily Gonzales$12,389
Emily Gonzales committee — raised through June 30, 2026
Oscarin Ortega$100
Self-funded so far — one $100 contribution from the candidate himself, plus $100 in-kind (printed flyers)
Perry AlvarezUnder $2,000
Filed a short-form Form 470 — no committee, and reports no plans to raise or spend $2,000 or more
Rick Robinson — 2026 breakdown
Howard Jacobs / GK Asset ManagementDeveloper — “Sunsets” project (approved 2023)$5,000.00
Fred WilliamsonWilliamson Strawberries / Fire Mountain landowner$3,000.00
Peter Weiss for City Council 2026PACCandidate-committee contribution$2,500.00
Dustin & Molly CampbellCannabis-cultivation interest (Sleeping Indian Rd)$2,000.00
Lynn JepsenTwo contributions$1,000.00
Donal YasikochiFarmer / produce boxes$1,000.00
Mike OgdenOceanside Planning Commission$1,000.00
California Real Estate PACPAC24-hour late contribution, received 8/13/26$1,000.00
Terry JohnsonFormer Oceanside mayor$750.00
David Fischbach / Blue Curl LLCShort-term-rental operator$500.00
Craig WickmanRepeat contributor (also gave in 2022)$500.00
All other contributorsIncludes six $250 gifts added in the Jan–June 2026 filing$7,058.37
Robinson 2026 total — monetary, raised to date$25,308.37
Emily Gonzales — 2026 breakdown
Future Democrats PACPACNational political action committee — Washington, D.C.$1,900.00
Kenneth DalpeOceanside resident — 11 recurring contributions$1,100.00
Steven BurrellRetired — Oceanside$800.00
Daniel DominguezRetired — Oceanside$800.00
Democratic Club of Carlsbad-OceansideClubLocal Democratic club — Carlsbad$800.00
Emily GonzalesCandidate self-funding (own committee)$621.82
Sarah MaianiArtist — Santa Barbara$500.00
Tina ValinOceanside$500.00
Larry WarnerOceanside — 5 contributions$461.00
Karen GloverProfessor — CSU San Marcos$400.00
All other contributors$4,506.00
Gonzales 2026 total — monetary, raised to date$12,388.82
Ricky James — 2026 breakdown
Rick & Tina JamesMy parents$500.00
Roy GreenFather-in-Law — Huntington Beach$1,200.00
Chance HardyOwner, Hardy Window Company — Placentia$1,000.00
All other contributors under $10017 additional supporters (Thank you!) — not yet reflected in an official Form 460$673.24
James 2026 total — monetary, raised to date$3,373.24
Spent to date — signs, State filing fees & campaign software$1,694.06

Cash on hand: ~$1,679. My $100 personal loan to the campaign has since been repaid in full. The $673.24 from small-dollar supporters above will appear in my next periodic filing — I wanted it on the record now rather than waiting.

Oscarin Ortega — 2026 breakdown
Oscarin OrtegaCandidate self-funding (own committee)$100.00
In-kind: printed flyersSelf-donated nonmonetary contribution$100.00
Ortega 2026 total — raised to date$200.00
Tracking the 2026 cycle

For the current race, we monitor all five qualified District 2 candidates — Rick Robinson, Emily Gonzales, Oscarin Ortega, Perry Alvarez, and my own committee — along with the PACs active in the race, capturing monetary and nonmonetary contributions, loans, and 24-hour/10-day late-contribution reports as they post to the City of Oceanside's eFile system. Robinson's Jan–June 2026 filing added $1,500 in monetary contributions (six $250 gifts, including the Ryan Keim for Mayor 2024 committee) and $10,000 in new candidate loans, bringing his committee to $14,000 in outstanding loans; a $1,000 late contribution from the California Real Estate PAC followed on August 13. Both are separate from the monetary totals above, along with $800 in nonmonetary (in-kind) contributions reported in 2025. Gonzales's committee carries a $1,000 loan from The Collective Consultancy (reported December 2025), also separate from the monetary contributions above. Ortega's committee opened in 2026 and has reported only self-funded contributions so far. Alvarez filed a short-form Form 470, meaning he doesn't expect to raise or spend $2,000 or more in the race and isn't required to itemize contributions. My own committee has also received $673.24 from 17 additional small-dollar supporters since my last filing — included above ahead of my next report so the total here stays accurate.

My campaign has raised $3,373.24 to date — $500 from my parents, Rick and Tina James, $1,200 from a retiree in Huntington Beach, $1,000 from a small-business owner in Placentia, and $673.24 from 17 additional small-dollar supporters not yet reflected in an official filing. My $100 personal seed loan has since been repaid in full. I don't solicit contributions, and I pledge not to take money from developers, vendors, PACs, or any interest seeking to advance an agenda. Robinson's re-election committee has reported $25,308.37 in monetary contributions through August 13, 2026 (plus $14,000 in candidate loans). Gonzales's committee has reported $12,388.82 in monetary contributions through June 30, 2026 — her largest single source is a national PAC in Washington, D.C. Ortega has reported $100 in monetary and $100 in nonmonetary contributions, both self-funded. Alvarez has filed only a short-form Form 470, reporting no committee and no contributions requiring itemization. All itemized breakdowns appear above.

For context · prior filings

Rick Robinson's 2022 Campaign

2022 election cycle — final/amended, fixed figures
Rick Robinson — 2022$86,379
incl. Political Action Committee (PAC) independent expenditures
2022 breakdown
Oceanside Firefighters Association PACPAC · independent expendituresSched. D/E/G IEs: mailers, digital ads, walk cards, texts, postage$39,862.70
Oceanside Police Officers' AssociationPAC$1,000 monetary + independent-expenditure printing & mailing$21,947.39
Howard Jacobs / GK Asset ManagementDeveloper — “Sunsets” micro-apartment project$4,900.00
Shantu PatelDeveloper — former Flying Bridge project$1,000.00
Waste ManagementCity refuse-franchise hauler$1,000.00
David Fischbach / Blue Curl LLCShort-term-rental operator (Beachfront Only Rentals)$1,000.00
Neal Nagata / Nagata Brothers LLCFarming landowner$500.00
Joe Valenti / North Coast VillageVacation-rental operator$400.00
Dustin CampbellTied to a cannabis-cultivation permit application (Sleeping Indian Rd)$250.00
All other contributors$15,519.39
2022 total$86,379.48

Contribution amounts and dates are from public California Form 460 filings via the City of Oceanside's eFile system. Notes identify each contributor's publicly known business, role, or project before the City. 2022 totals are final/amended and stay fixed.

Why your vote matters

In 2022, the District 2 seat was decided by just 817 votes.

This is a small, close district — a handful of engaged neighbors genuinely decide who represents you.

817
margin of victory in 2022
11,815
total votes that chose the seat
~43,742
residents in District 2

You're not a drop in the bucket here — you're the margin.

Source: San Diego County Registrar of Voters, 2022 official results.