An ad hoc committee is examining ways to insulate the board from political influence, including shifting appointment power to a future inspector general.
Several candidates in City Council races have ended their campaigns following the June primary, ahead of the November general election.
Jessica Qattawi, who is running in Ward 4, earned 25.29% of the vote as of June 8. She said she is staying in the race and continuing to watch the election results.
"I have some exciting plans ahead and I'm incredibly optimistic about the future," Qattawi told the Gazette. "This campaign taught me so much, and I'm grateful for every lesson, conversation and connection that came from it."
"While I'm not quite ready to share all the details yet, I can tell you that my focus remains the same: creating a brighter future for Riverside residents and continuing to serve our community in meaningful ways," she said.
In Ward 2, Christen Montero, whose vote currently sits at 3.74%, also confirmed the end of her campaign, sharing a message on Instagram following the primary.
"The primary may be over, but our commitment to a new direction remains," Montero wrote. "I am deeply grateful for your support, your passion, and for believing in the power and potential of our community."
"This campaign was about all of us, and while the path for this race has ended, our work continues," she said.
In Ward 6, candidate Norma Berrellez indicated on June 8 she is not conceding and is awaiting final election certification results, despite trailing in preliminary results with 23.49% — about 4.5 percentage points behind Oz Puerta, who is second with 28.07%
"I continue to be motivated by my community of voters who believe I will be going to the November election," Berrellez said in a statement to the Gazette. "We are committed to fight until they officially count every vote and announce the victory for the two candidates moving forward."
In Ward 2, candidate Mike Vahl, who had 23.21% of the vote, did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
The departures narrow the field in several council races ahead of the November election, where the top two vote-getters in each ward will compete for a council seat.
In Ward 2, Gracie Torres led with 38.03% and Aram Ayra followed with 35.02%; in Ward 4, Chuck Conder led with 46.03% and Rich Vandenberg was second with 28.68%; and in Ward 6, Luis Hernandez led with 48.45% and Oz Puerta was second with 28.07%.
Correction- Tues. June 9, 5:37 p.m. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Jessica Qattawi was dropping out of the Ward 4 race. She is not. We apologize for the error. The story has been updated.
Civic Engagement Reporter who calls the Inland Empire home. Five years covering SoCal. APU journalism grad. Good conversations over coffee and stories that matter.
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