El Cajon mayor Bill Wells faces Peace and Freedom Party challenger in Nov. 3 election

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, a conservative who has served on the city's council since 2008 and as mayor since 2013, will face labor organizer and former educator Alexander Kraft in the Nov. 3 mayoral election, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. A separate three-way race for the District 1 council seat vacated by longtime Councilmember Gary Kendrick will be decided on the same date.

Kraft is a member of the Peace and Freedom Party and describes his platform as 'working-class socialist.' He grew up in a trailer park in El Cajon, worked on an assembly line and later graduated from UC Berkeley, according to the Union-Tribune. His campaign website states: 'El Cajon's multi-ethnic working class is under attack by a MAGA-controlled city government more interested in writing checks to billionaire landlords and selling out our residents to ICE than in meeting people's needs.'

Wells is campaigning on public safety and the city's finances, pointing to $63 million in reserves and a fully staffed police department. His campaign website states: 'Public safety is my number one responsibility.' Wells has also opposed several state policies, including California's approach to homelessness, and helped lead El Cajon in a lawsuit challenging California's sanctuary laws.

Homelessness is a stated priority for both candidates. Wells supports clearing encampments and a treatment-first approach, while Kraft has protested the city's ban on feeding people in public parks and is calling for a community response team for mental health crises and an audit of police spending. Campaign filings showed Wells with $13,715 in cash as of June 30, compared with $6,701 for Kraft, the Union-Tribune reported.

In the District 1 race, Republican Chuck Kaye, Democrat Patrick Grillot, and Osama Bayati are competing to replace Kendrick, who was a longtime Republican before leaving the party and registering as a Democrat. Kaye, a career law enforcement officer, is campaigning on public safety, lower taxes, and keeping El Cajon family-friendly. Grillot, who has served on a city oversight committee for police and fire facility funding, is focused on public safety, economic development, and homelessness. Bayati is campaigning to help young people and small businesses, to impose term limits, and to oppose what he calls the 'unnecessary expansion' of Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras.

• The source does not state Osama Bayati's party affiliation.
• The source does not provide campaign fundraising figures for the three District 1 candidates.
• The source does not state the specific details or current status of the El Cajon lawsuit challenging California's sanctuary laws.
• The source does not state how many terms Wells has served as mayor or whether he faces any term-limit restrictions.
• The source does not state what oversight role, if any, the city council majority plays in the mayoral race outcome.

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