Ballots are in the mail and Riverside voters have until June 2 to choose City Council representatives for Wards 2, 4, and 6 — with runoffs in November if no candidate clears 50%. This guide is your one-stop reference: candidate profiles, the Measure Z fire department sales tax, forum coverage, and how to cast your ballot.
The Raincross Gazette has covered these races since the first candidate announcements last spring and will continue through Election Day. Wards 2, 4, and 6 are voting under new ward boundaries adopted in 2023, the first time these even-numbered wards have done so.
For complete coverage of the 2026 Riverside election, visit our 2026 Election page.
How to Vote
To make sure your vote counts, mail your ballot by Tuesday, May 26 — or skip the mail entirely and use a county drop box or vote center. Track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
Election Timeline
- May 4 — Vote-by-mail ballots mailed to all active registered voters; the Registrar's two 24-hour drop boxes at 2720 and 2724 Gateway Drive opened.
- May 5 — In-person early voting began at the Registrar's office.
- May 18 — Last day to register online or by mail. After this date, eligible voters can still register and vote at any Riverside County vote center.
- May 23 — First wave of vote centers opens countywide.
- May 26 — Recommended last day to mail your ballot.
- May 30 — All Riverside County vote centers open.
- June 2 — Primary Election Day. Vote centers and drop boxes accept ballots until 8 p.m. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by today.
- June 9 — Final receipt deadline. Ballots postmarked by June 2 must be received by the Registrar by today to count.
- November 3 — Runoff election if no candidate in a Ward 2, 4, or 6 race receives more than 50% on June 2.
A new USPS postmark rule could affect your ballot
A federal rule that took effect Dec. 24, 2025 means your ballot's postmark now reflects the date it reaches a regional postal facility — not the date you drop it in a mailbox. A ballot dropped in a collection box on June 2 may not be postmarked in time to count.
City Council Candidates
Riverside voters will choose representatives for three City Council seats in 2026. The candidate filing period has closed. Ten candidates are certified across three wards for the June 2 General Municipal Election.
Justin Pardee
Ward 2
The Ward 2 seat is open after incumbent Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes opted to run for State Assembly District 58 instead of seeking re-election, drawing four candidates into the race. Under new district boundaries adopted in 2023, Ward 2 now includes the University neighborhood, Hunter Park, Canyon Crest, Sycamore Canyon, and Mission Grove.
Meet the Candidates:
- Aram Ayra, Educator and city commissioner – ayraforriverside.com
- Campaign Announcement and Interview, July 15, 2025
- Christen Montero, Entrepreneur and planning commissioner – votechristen.com
- Campaign Announcement and Interview, Aug 15, 2025
- Gracie Torres, Member, Western Municipal Water District Board of Directors – gracietorres.com
- Campaign Announcement (no response to interview), Oct 17, 2025
- Mike Vahl, Local business owner – vahl4riverside.com
- Campaign Announcement and Interview, Nov 14, 2025
Candidate Forum:
Gazette Staff
Micaela Ricaforte
Micaela Ricaforte
Ward 4
Incumbent Councilmember Chuck Conder, who has represented Ward 4 since 2017, faces new challengers in his re-election bid. Conder defeated a single challenger in 2021 with 56% of the vote. Under new district boundaries adopted in 2023, Ward 4 now includes Alessandro Heights, Mission Grove, Orangecrest, and the Greenbelt.
Meet the Candidates:
- Chuck Conder, Councilmember, retired military – Incumbent
- No website, no response to interview.
- Jessica Qattawi, Businesswoman and community leader – jessicaqattawi.com
- Campaign Announcement and Interview, Dec 5, 2025
- Rich Vandenberg, Finance professional - vandenbergforriverside.com
- Candidate Announcement and Interview, May 13, 2025
Candidate Forum:
Gazette Staff
Micaela Ricaforte
Ward 6
The Ward 6 seat is open after three-term Councilmember Jim Perry announced he will not seek re-election, ending a tenure that began in 2013. Perry ran unopposed in his last election in 2021. Under new district boundaries adopted in 2023, Ward 6 now includes Arlanza, La Sierra, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, and portions of Arlington.
Meet the Candidates:
- Norma Berrellez
- Did not response to interview request.
- Luis Hernandez, Disability services specialist – luishernandez4riverside.com
- Did not response to interview request.
- Oz Puerta, Commissioner and Executive Director, Arlington Business Partnership – puerta4riverside.com
- Candidate Announcement and Interview, Dec 17, 2025
Candidate Forum:
Gazette Staff
Micaela Ricaforte
Measure Z
On June 2, voters will decide whether to raise the existing Measure Z sales tax from 1% to 1.25% and remove its 2036 sunset. The city projects the increase would generate approximately $106 million annually, primarily to address a fire department staffing and station shortfall identified in a January master plan. The measure is a general tax — revenue flows into the city's general fund rather than a dedicated emergency-services fund — a structure that became central to a successful court challenge over the ballot's wording.
Justin Pardee
Where do the Candidates Stand?
Over three nights in late April, the Gazette hosted candidate forums for Wards 2, 4 and 6 — three wards, nearly 300 Riversiders in the room. We're publishing a five-part series built directly out of those conversations, organized around the issues forum registrants most wanted candidates to address.
Each piece puts the same question to all the candidates across the three wards, side by side, so voters can see how the field thinks about the issues that will shape the next four years.
Part 1: Homelessness
Riverside has spent tens of millions on homelessness, and the city's own count is still up more than 50% since 2022. We didn't ask the candidates for a plan or a five-point program — we asked them for a philosophy.
Micaela Ricaforte
Part 2: Budget and Fiscal Priorities
Measure Z revenue has dropped two years in a row, and city staff has recommended tens of millions in cuts over the next two budgets. We asked candidates the only question that matters when the math doesn't work: what do you protect, and what do you cut?
Micaela Ricaforte
Part 3: Housing and Neighborhood Character
The state says Riverside needs to build more housing, but the city has permitted less than 20% of the units required. Residents, meanwhile, are worried about density, traffic, and what new construction is doing to their neighborhoods. We asked candidates where housing should go in their ward — and where it shouldn't.
Micaela Ricaforte
Part 4: Economic Development
Every candidate in these races wants better jobs and stronger businesses for Riverside. The harder question — and the one we asked them — is what a city council member can actually do to attract them.
Micaela Ricaforte
Part 5: Leadership and the City Manager
Riverside has had five city managers since 2005, with an average tenure half the national average. The recent Mike Futrell whiplash made headlines, but the underlying instability isn't new. We asked candidates whether Futrell should stay and what this pattern says about Riverside.
Micaela Ricaforte
