Oceanside mayor faces fellow councilmember on November ballot

Oceanside’s mayoral election in November will send one of the two candidates home from their City Hall office.

Councilmember Ryan Keim, instead of seeking reelection to his council district seat, is the only candidate challenging Mayor Sanchez, who wants another four years in the job.

“I’m running for re-election because I am ‘the people’s mayor,’” Sanchez said Thursday. “We have critical projects that require my years of experience and expertise — on homelessness, affordable housing, sand on our beaches, jobs, traffic and parking issues, and preserving our neighborhoods and quality of life.”

An attorney and Oceanside native, Sanchez has served on the City Council since she was first elected in November 2000. She won her first term as mayor in 2020.

Keim, a 30-year resident and former Oceanside police officer, was appointed to a vacancy on the council in January 2019 and elected to his first full four-year term in 2020. He has been a vocal proponent of projects to restore sand on Oceanside’s eroding beaches.

“As mayor of Oceanside, I will continue to protect our coastline, support and advocate for policies that keep our cities safe, address our homeless crisis, safeguard taxpayer money, and preserve our city’s unique character to continue to make Oceanside the most livable beach city in California,” Keim said, in a statement on his election website.

Keim leads Sanchez in fundraising with $51,921.76 in contributions from Jan. 1 thro...