Story by Ella Apisakkul
Staff Writer
Illustration by Shyla Drake
Staff Illustrator
Two candidates, Michael Cacciotti and Nevin Stanton-Trehan, ran for the District 4 city councilmember position in South Pasadena’s municipal elections on November 3. Cacciotti currently held this position and ran to get re-elected, while Stanton-Trehan has opposed him.
Cacciotti, the incumbent, is a nonpartisan and has served six past terms as the city councilmember for District 4 since 2001. He has also served five previous South Pasadena mayoral terms, as well as having been a deputy attorney general with the State of California Department of Justice. During his previous terms, his notable accomplishments include protecting and funding local parks, funding pedestrian and bike trails, improving the city’s water system, and establishing the nation’s first electric police fleet.
If re-elected for a seventh term, Cacciotti wants to focus on preventing air pollution, redesigning roads in favor of bicyclists and pedestrians, stabilizing rent, and retaining strong finances. He is passionate about being an environmental leader for the community. “I had three kids in my soccer team two years ago that had asthma, so every practice was an inhaler, nebulizer. That’s why I became so passionate about clean air and protecting your health and our future health,” said Cacciotti.
Cacciotti first moved to South Pasadena in 1992 from Koreatown, falling in love with the city.
“We’re tenacious about protecting our small town character, that charm,” said Cacciotti. He appreciates the friendliness of local residents and South Pasadena’s natural spaces, and partakes in the community through his work as an American Youth Soccer Organization coach.
Cacciotti is endorsed by the South Pasadena Police and Fire Departments, various elected officials such as fellow councilmember Jon Primuth and former local mayor Robert “Bob” Joe, the California and Los Angeles County Democratic Parties, and community leaders, including SPHS PTSA President Grace Liu and South Pasadena Public Safety Commissioner Walter Cervantes.
Nevin Stanton-Trehan, the challenger, is also a nonpartisan candidate. Though he has not previously served in the city council, he is the executive vice president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles as well as the chair of the South Pasadena Finance Commission.
“You got to have a seat at the table if you want to make change. I decided to run, encouraged by a lot of people and knowing that I have a heart to fix things that are broken or improve things that need to be improved,” said Stanton-Trehan on his motivations to run for a councilmember position.
If elected, Stanton-Trehan aims to improve public infrastructure, strategic use of finances towards city facilities and investing for the city’s future growth, as well as public safety, starting with small details such as adding crosswalks to streets and painting bike lanes, then eventually moving on to larger projects such as updating the library and fixing safety hazards in local parks.
“[There will be] more issues that are going to come with this much development in our city. As a person that’s built multiple YMCAs and has acquired multiple YMCAs at my time at the Y, I know how to address these issues. I’ve been there. I’ve done it,” said Stanton-Trehan.
Additionally, he wants to bring a new perspective to the city council as the only councilmember with children actively in the local school district, giving a voice to the parents of the community. His work coaching for the Little League and serving on the SPEF board further highlights his devotion towards local families. “I’m sure [that] parents moved here because of the schools, or they are very involved because of the schools, so to not have that representation on the city council is crazy to me. It’s something that we need to have,” said Stanton-Trehan.
Stanton-Trehan has lived in South Pasadena for six years. “It feels almost not real. It’s this little slice of Americana that I didn’t grow up with as a kid,” he said. He aims to protect and preserve the South Pasadena community for future generations of residents.
Stanton-Trehan is endorsed by various community leaders and residents, including SPEF president Rob Clyde, YMCA executive director Jason Ramos, Marengo PTA president Danielle Choi, and South Pasadena Chinese-American Club president Yuki Cutcheon.
“I truly love South Pasadena. I don’t think there’s any greater city. So I just want to make it a better place for all of us,” said Stanton-Trehan.
After going door-to-door and receiving local support, both candidates wish for the best in the last week of their campaigns. The date has not yet been announced as to when election results will be released, but additional information about the election can be found on the City of South Pasadena website under the Your Government, Service Areas, and City Clerk’s Office sections to the “Elections” sub-section or through contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (626) 403-7230.
Election results, released on Nov. 3, 2026, resulted in Cacciotti being chosen for the position, as found and confirmed on the LA County Election Results website under the General Election of Nov. 3, 2026. Cacciotti’s prior accomplishments while in office, as well as his future goals of improving the local environment and infrastructure, were prioritized by the community.