Michael J. Luellen IIIncumbent
Candidate for City Council (At-Large), Calipatria · Incumbent
Luellen graduated from Calipatria High School in 2022 and earned six associate degrees from Imperial Valley College in 2024; he is continuing his studies in public administration at San Diego State University-Imperial Valley. He was elected to the Calipatria City Council and has been selected by his council colleagues to serve as the city's mayor, including reappointment for the 2025-2026 term. As mayor he announced the Sunset Ranch Subdivision, described as the city's first major housing development in decades, and led the push for a moratorium on new data centers in Calipatria.
Positions in brief
Luellen backs a moratorium on new data centers in Calipatria, with an exception for facilities that serve public needs like a hospital, while continuing to push local housing and infrastructure projects.
As mayor, Luellen championed a citywide moratorium on new data center development, telling the council he sees no upside to hosting them locally ('I believe, data centers, the only place that they exist is in hell'). He proposed a five-year sunset on the ban, citing ongoing conversations with the state over CEQA review, and said he would allow an exception if a company or a hospital needed the added capacity. He has also announced the Sunset Ranch Subdivision, described as the city's first major housing development in decades, and was reappointed by his council colleagues to another term as mayor for 2025-2026.
On the issues
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