Initial votes are in for Riverside's June 2 primary election, and Riverside voters are decidedly set against Measure Z — the city's proposed sales tax increase — while leaders emerge from the three open City Council races.
Riverside voters were asked to choose City Council representatives for Wards 2, 4 and 6 under the new ward boundaries adopted in 2023 — and weighed in on Measure Z, a proposal to raise the city sales tax to 1.25% to fund fire staffing and stations.
A council candidate must win more than 50 percent of the vote to take the seat outright; if no one does, the top two finishers advance to a Nov. 3 runoff election. Measure Z needs a simple majority to pass.
The figures below reflect the election night counts released by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters at about 2 a.m., representing primarily vote-by-mail and early ballots.
Election Day in-person ballots and later-arriving mail ballots still need to be counted, and leads can change.
Measure Z
Things are looking bleak for Measure Z, which would raise Riverside's sales tax from 1 percent to 1.25 percent and remove its 2036 sunset to fund fire staffing and stations. It is structured as a general tax instead of a special tax, meaning funds generated from the tax would go to the city’s general fund and not a specific fund for fire and emergency needs. It needs a simple majority to pass. As of June 3 at 6:15 p.m., 18.54% of the vote was counted.
- Yes: 12,315 votes (41.57%)
- No: 17,308 votes (58.43%)
Ward 2
In the four-way race for the open Ward 2 seat, Gracie Torres leads with 37.28 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. No candidate is above 50 percent; Torres and Ayra are the apparent top two. As of June 3 at 6:15 p.m., 22.71% of the vote was counted.
- Gracie Torres: 1,629 votes (37.28%)
- Aram Ayra: 1,437 votes (32.88%)
- Mike Vahl: 1,136 votes (26.00%)
- Christen Montero: 168 votes (3.84%)
Vahl told the Gazette at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday night that, “As of this afternoon there were [more than] 5200 votes registered counted at 3pm. The current votes shown is 3700. I’m confident I will end up in the top [two].”
At 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, Torres told the Gazette that she was "deeply honored and grateful to the voters of Ward 2 for placing their trust in us tonight."
"This moment belongs to every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who spread the word, and every voter who cast their ballot for our campaign," she said. "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. My family and team will carry your faith and support with us every step of the way."
Montero told the Gazette Wednesday afternoon that she was “hoping for more voter turnout but we are happy we finished strong as a team.”
“I look forward to continuing to serve as city planning commissioner,” Montero said.
Ayra told the Gazette Wednesday evening he was encouraged by the latest results,
“There are still many ballots left to count…but with each update, our vote share has continued to grow, and it is clear that our message is resonating,” he said. “Riverside residents want a city they can afford to live in. They want transparency at City Hall and leadership that answers to residents, not special interests.”
Ayra said he will continue to watch the vote count and is ready to “keep working hard to earn the support of voters in November.”
Ward 4
Incumbent Chuck Conder leads Ward 4 with 48.07 percent — just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff — with all precincts reporting. As of June 3 at 6:15 p.m., 23.66% of the vote was counted.
- Chuck Conder (incumbent): 3,160 votes (48.07%)
- Rich Vandenberg: 1,913 votes (29.10%)
- Jessica Qattawi: 1,501 votes (22.83%)
Rich Vandenberg told the Gazette around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night he would “be patient and let the process play out,” as more ballots needed to be counted in the race.
“I’m grateful for the support we’ve received and for everyone who has been part of this campaign,” he said. “We’ll continue watching the results as they come in, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the remaining ballots shape the outcome. For now, I simply want to thank everyone who has supported me, encouraged me, and placed their trust in me.”
At 11 p.m. Tuesday night, Qattawi said, “I may have finished last in this race so far, but I don’t feel like I lost.”
“Some victories don’t show up on election night, she said. “I know many people were hoping for a win because they saw the possibility of a better future for Riverside…But this doesn’t change who I am or my commitment to this community. I’ll still be here. I’ll still be speaking up, showing up, helping where I can, and fighting for what’s right. In fact, I may be even more involved than before. Public service isn’t about holding a title. It’s about caring enough to take action. That’s something no election result can take away. Thank you, Riverside. The work continues.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Conder thanked voters for participating in the election in a Facebook post.
“Your participation in our democratic process is essential to the healthy functioning of our precious American republic,” he said. “While more votes were cast for me than for either of my two opponents, at this time I have not received more than 50% to win election outright.”
Conder said California has a “strange and somewhat concerning ballot counting process” that will prevent people from knowing the outcome of the election for about a month.
“My percentage of the vote may increase or it may decrease during this extended counting period. I will keep you informed in the coming weeks on updates to the count and whether there will be a runoff election in Ward 4 this November or not,” he said.
Ward 6
Luis Hernandez leads the open Ward 6 seat left by retiring three-term Council member Jim Perry, with all precincts reporting. As of June 3 at 6:15 p.m., 13.27% of the vote was counted.
- Luis Hernandez: 1,134 votes (47.81%)
- Oz Puerta: 643 votes (27.11%)
- Norma Berrellez: 595 votes (25.08%)
“We shall continue to wait for the results to come in,” Berrellez told the Gazette at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday night. “Your support is extremely important to me and to our community we will stay strong and confident till the end.”
At 10:24 p.m.Tuesday night, Puerta told the Gazette he was “feeling good.”
“With only 17% of the vote counted, we’re nowhere near the point where anyone should be declaring victory or defeat. We knew this was going to be a long night, and there are still a lot of voters whose voices haven’t been reflected in the results yet.”
Puerta thanked his supporters, adding, “We’re going to keep watching the numbers come in, stay patient, and see where things land. Tonight is only the beginning of the counting process, not the end of it.”
What happens next
Riverside County will continue counting ballots — including vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by June 2 and provisional ballots — through June 9, the final receipt deadline. Results are not certified on election night, and margins in close races are likely to shift as additional ballots are tallied.
Any Ward 2, 4 or 6 race in which no candidate finishes above 50 percent will advance its top two finishers to a runoff on Nov. 3.
The Gazette will update this story as new counts are released and will follow with individual reports on the city council races and Measure Z's outcome in the days ahead.
For full candidate profiles and race background, see the Gazette's 2026 Election Guide.
