Anne Hertz-Mallari, a former mayor of Cypress who has spent more than three decades running nonprofits in the area, announced Monday she is running for Cypress City Council District 1 in the November 2026 election.

Hertz-Mallari, who currently serves as CEO of We Care Orange County, said she decided to run after watching the current council majority drift from what she describes as the basics of local governance.

"The current council has completely lost sight of Cypress's priorities," Hertz-Mallari said in a statement Monday. "I'm running to bring civility and results back to City Hall."

She enters the race with more than $15,000 cash on hand.

Her resume in Cypress spans several decades. She led the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim-Cypress for more than 17 years, growing the organization from a single location to 18 sites serving more than 2,600 children daily across Anaheim, Cypress and La Palma. In her current role at We Care Orange County, she oversees programs covering case management, rent and utility assistance, financial planning and food access for families at risk of crisis.

She served on the Cypress City Council and as mayor before stepping away from elected office.

Her announcement takes direct aim at the council's current direction. The Facebook post accompanying her press release said the current majority has "allowed special interests and divisive rhetoric to crowd out the real work of serving residents" — a contrast she drew against prior councils that she said kept their focus on safe neighborhoods, fiscal discipline and youth programs.

"Cypress has always been a great place to live because our leaders acted selflessly," Hertz-Mallari said. "Recently, our city has lost focus."

District 1 is one of three Cypress council seats on the November 3, 2026 ballot, alongside District 5, where firefighter Randy Harper entered the race last month, and District 2.