Escondido Mayor 2026

Michael
Delbosque

For Mayor of Escondido

"Behind the bar every night.
Behind the city when it counts."
About Michael Michael vs. Dane White See the Platform
Michael Delbosque — Candidate for Mayor of Escondido, CA
Michael Delbosque
Candidate for Mayor · Escondido, CA
About Michael
🏠
Lifelong Escondido resident Grew up here, went to school here, still lives here. He knows what this city was, what it is, and what it can become.
🍺
Owner of Last Spot Bar, Grand Ave Michael works the floor 5 nights a week — building his own business while dealing firsthand with vacancies, foot traffic, permitting, and everything that makes or breaks a downtown corridor.
🗳️
Not a career politician He's running because he sees exactly what a thriving Grand Avenue could look like — and he knows exactly what stands in the way.
Michael vs. Dane White
Michael Delbosque
Grand Ave business owner — works the floor 5 nights a week
Rent stabilization tied to unit quality & age
Rent assistance expanded — all residents 18+ earning under $30K
Social worker co-responders for non-violent 911 calls
8-hour shifts + competitive pay for fire, EMS & detectives — day one priority
Vacancy fee on empty Grand Ave storefronts
Monthly street festivals; make Escondido a weekend destination
License cannabis dispensaries — keep that tax revenue in Escondido
Opposes ICE training at city-owned facilities
Work-integrated shelter; repurpose idle ice rink near Carvana
Plan to address $128M in backlogged city maintenance
Homelessness accountability with stronger recovery pathways
Roads & infrastructure investment
Dane White (incumbent)
5th generation Escondido native; small business owner (WhiteWerks Flooring LLC)
No rent stabilization — focuses on multi-use development on Grand Ave to grow supply
No expanded rent assistance; general "lower cost of living" messaging
Traditional policing — added 6 COPPS officers in 2025
Passed 2025 comp package for fire & police — after years of lowest pay in San Diego County
No vacancy fee — supports Grand Ave "parklets" beautification but no event commitment
Supported Measure I 1¢ sales tax — reversed his 2022 anti-tax position to pass it
No cannabis dispensary policy
Signed DHS/ICE training agreement at city-owned facilities
"Public Safety First" shelter model — cleared The Jungle encampment via emergency declaration (2024)
$128M in backlogged city maintenance accumulated during tenure
Homelessness enforcement accountability
Roads & infrastructure investment
Filter by who this matters to

The Platform

Showing all policies across 8 issue areas.