Judge wins Simi Valley mayor

Simi Valley voters have chosen a new direction for City Hall. Longtime City Councilmember Mike Judge is headed to the mayor's office, three first-time candidates appear poised to join the council, and residents overwhelmingly approved a hotel tax increase — all according to unofficial results released Nov. 4 by the Ventura County Elections Division.

Judge, who has spent 16 years on the Simi Valley City Council, defeated his closest challenger, Kareem Jubran, by 10 percentage points in the citywide race for a two-year mayoral term. The Simi Valley Acorn, which first reported the results, said Judge received 42% of the vote, or 12,661 votes, to Jubran's 32%, or 9,600 votes. Outgoing Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh, who ran while holding the city's top office, finished third with nearly 21%, or 6,246 votes. Wayne Hampton Holland III received nearly 3% (739 votes), and Robert Clarizio received just under 2% (572 votes).

"Thank you, Simi Valley!" Judge told supporters after the results came in, according to the Acorn.

The results remain unofficial. As of Nov. 5, more than 161,115 ballots remained unprocessed countywide, according to the Ventura County Elections Division, and outcomes in the closest races — particularly Council District 1 — could still shift as late mail-in and provisional ballots are tallied. Certified results and updated totals were expected to follow in subsequent weeks.

A Lifelong Resident Takes the City's Top Job

Judge, 63, is a lifelong Simi Valley resident whose public-service resume spans decades. He served in the U.S. Army and the California Army National Guard before beginning a 31-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department, from which he retired in 2021, the Acorn reported.

During the campaign, Judge said his priorities as mayor would include preserving Simi Valley's small-town character, prioritizing public safety, and supporting measured development that accounts for the city's traffic and infrastructure limitations — themes that resonate in a suburban city of roughly 125,000 residents where growth and congestion are perennial concerns at City Hall.

His election marks a continuity of leadership after Cavanaugh's tenure, but with a change in emphasis: Judge brings deep institutional knowledge from 16 years on the council, and the new council members joining him will significantly reshape the body's composition.

Newcomers Lead in All Three Council District Races

Beyond the mayor's race, the biggest story of the night is the wave of newcomers poised to claim council seats in districts 1, 2 and 4.

In District 1, Jill Abele held a razor-thin lead over Joseph Ayala in the closest contest of the election — just 78 votes separated the two in the initial count. Abele received 38% (2,964 votes) to Ayala's 37% (2,886 votes), with Anthony Thompson at 16.5% (1,275 votes) and Todd Taylor at just under 8% (603 votes), the Acorn reported. The District 1 winner will serve the final two years of the council seat Cavanaugh held before being appointed mayor.

Abele, 61, has lived in Simi Valley for 40 years, is a retired businessperson, and volunteers with several local organizations, including Soroptimist International. She described herself as "cautiously optimistic" given the uncounted ballots, and said Ayala was "most gracious" in offering to help ensure a smooth transition. Her stated priorities include fiscal accountability, avoiding new taxes, strengthening public safety, addressing the city's pension obligations, and increasing transparency and resident input.

Thompson congratulated Abele and pointed to turnout as a challenge — only about 37% of the district's 21,000 registered voters cast ballots, he noted. "Making a strong enough case to get people to the polls was my job, and I own that and will do a better job," Thompson said.

In District 2, Sam Cohen unseated incumbent Richard Perini, taking 57% of the vote (3,788 votes) to Perini's nearly 43% (2,850 votes). Cohen, 43, is an engineer with more than 25 years of experience managing multimillion-dollar projects and budgets, and he has served on city committees and chaired Neighborhood Council 2. He campaigned on improving infrastructure, public safety and economic development, along with government transparency.

In District 4, Ivana Christmann won a four-way contest with 38% of the vote (3,319 votes), ahead of Josh Gray at 28% (2,441 votes), Debra Dickerson at nearly 25% (2,145 votes) and Scott Juceam at 8% (733 votes). Christmann, 41, is a business owner, a current Planning Commission member, president of Simi Valley Noon Rotary, and a board member of For The Troops.

"I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the residents of Simi Valley have placed in me," Christmann said, adding: "I didn't run for a title. I ran to serve. And now the real work begins."

Measure A: Hotel Tax Rising to 12%

Voters also decisively approved Measure A, which raises the city's transient occupancy tax — the tax paid by guests at hotels and other lodging — from 10% to 12%. The measure passed with 71% support, 21,436 votes to 8,585, according to the Acorn.

The increase applies to hotel stays and, notably, to short-term rentals such as Airbnb-style properties, which will now fall under the tax as part of the city's new short-term rental regulations. The change is expected to generate roughly $400,000 annually for city coffers — revenue that comes largely from visitors rather than residents, a point supporters emphasized during the campaign.

What Comes Next

With thousands of ballots still unprocessed countywide, the District 1 race in particular remains too close to call. The Ventura County Elections Division will continue releasing updated counts, and the results must be certified before winners formally take office. Once certified, Judge and the new council members will face a full agenda: budget and pension questions, development pressures, and implementation of the new short-term rental rules and hotel tax.

For Simi Valley residents, the election ushers in the most significant turnover at City Hall in years — a veteran council voice in the mayor's chair, at least three new faces on the dais, and a voter-approved revenue measure that will begin affecting lodging costs in the city.

This story is based on unofficial results reported by the [Simi Valley Acorn](https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/judge-wins-simi-valley-mayor/) as of Nov. 4–5, 2026. Final certified results may differ.