The Imperial Beach City Council has appointed Mariko Renee Nakawatase, an Imperial Beach resident who attended Mar Vista High School and currently works with the County of San Diego, as the new District 3 council member.
Following a second round of interviews on Oct. 1, the council voted to appoint Nakawatase to the empty council seat for a term that runs through November 2026. Nakawatase will be sworn in on Oct. 15.
The council began the process to appoint a District 3 resident to the vacant council seat after Mitch McKay was sworn in as mayor, leaving his seat on Aug. 20.
At that time, McKay was appointed to fill the mayoral seat left vacant by Paloma Aguirre, who was elected as county supervisor in July.
Rather than calling a special election for both vacancies, the council appointed McKay and accepted eight applications for the empty council seat.
On Sept. 17, the council interviewed the applicants and selected four to proceed to a second round of interviews. Two of the candidates withdrew, leaving Brian Patrick Bilbray and Nakawatase to contest for the seat on Oct. 1.
Bilbray and Nakawatase addressed the board once more on Oct. 1, responding to questions prepared ahead of the interviews. Nakawatase was selected on a 3-1 vote, with Council member Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez opposed.
“I feel like she’s the strongest candidate, not just for the next 12 months but beyond that,” said McKay about Nakawatase. “All these candidates, all eight of them, they have the opportunity to run again in November of 2026.”
New District 3 representative
Nakawatase holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy with a minor in political science, as well as a masters of public administration from Arizona State University. She previously told the council she has lived in the city for 22 years and is currently a director with San Diego County’s District 2 under Supervisor Joel Anderson.
Her application materials say Nakawatase currently volunteers as Key Club advisor at Mar Vista High School. She is also a Japanese American Citizens League member and currently serves as the president and chairwoman of San Diego Young Republicans.
“I bring with me a record of public engagement, collaboration with regional partners, and dedication to solving problems with both creativity and pragmatism,” says Nakawatase’s application. “If selected, I will prioritize engaging with residents directly, elevating their voices in the decision-making process, and fostering policies that balance economic growth with enhancing the everyday quality of life for residents.”
