South San Francisco voters in City Council District 3 will choose between three candidates on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: incumbent Councilmember Buenaflor "Flor" Nicolas, city planner and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Melanie Olson, and Sophia Cyris. Districts 1 and 5 are also on the ballot, but each has only one qualified candidate, according to the City Clerk's office.

Why it matters: Three of the five council seats are up this year, and the council decides by a three-vote majority. The next council inherits a $5.5 million General Fund gap, the affordable housing piece of the PUC Site project on Mission Road, and a redesign of El Camino Real.

District 3: three candidates for one seat

  • Buenaflor "Flor" Nicolas (incumbent) was first elected in 2018 and became mayor in December 2022. She is a vice president of drug safety at a precision oncology company and has degrees in chemical engineering and public health. The San Mateo Daily Journal endorsed her, saying the city "benefits from her know-how, perspective and experience."
  • Melanie Olson is a city planner who sits on South San Francisco's Parks and Recreation Commission and holds a master's degree in urban planning. The Bay Ballot endorsement tracker counts two San Mateo County voter guides backing her as of Oct. 21.
  • Sophia Cyris describes herself as a third-generation South San Franciscan with a background in public service, government, law and public policy.

Districts 1 and 5: no contest

In District 1, Mayor Mark Addiego did not file to run again, so the city extended the filing period for non-incumbents. Aysha Dominguez Pamukcu, a policy fund director, is the only qualified candidate and will take the open seat. In District 5, Councilmember and former mayor Eddie Flores, on the council since 2021, is unopposed after two other people who pulled papers, Norman Faria and Greg Turner, did not file by the deadline. City Clerk Rosa Govea Acosta and City Treasurer Frank Risso are also unopposed. The write-in filing period closed Oct. 20.

Councilmembers James Coleman and Mark Nagales are not up until 2028. Nagales is separately running for San Mateo County Supervisor District 5 against Daly City Councilmember Juslyn Manalo.

What the next council decides

  • Budget: Finance staff reported a $5.5 million General Fund gap in the 2026-27 budget, covered with reserves, and the council has agreed to work toward a revenue measure on the 2028 ballot. Uncertain state vehicle license fee money has already put childcare and after-school programs at risk.
  • PUC Site housing: The council amended the 1051 Mission Road development agreement 4-1 in May, following the withdrawal of BRIDGE Housing as the affordable housing partner, and in April committed up to $14.6 million from the first market-rate phase to the affordable building.
  • El Camino Real: In July the council picked a pedestrian-and-bus design as its preferred option for Caltrans review.
  • City construction: Staff are negotiating a possible project labor agreement for city capital projects.

How the seats work

South San Francisco switched to district elections in 2018. Council members serve four-year terms and earn $1,400 a month. Voters do not elect the mayor; the job rotates among council members by district. Check your district on the city's map, and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

See every Bay Area race and measure we've covered in our Election 2026 guide, including the San Mateo County Measure J and Measure AA charter amendments on the same ballot.