As election week comes to a close, Measure Z remains projected to fail, and all three city council races appear headed toward a runoff election in November.
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 emergency services.
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 end-of-week counts released by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters as of 6 p.m. Friday, June 5.
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 5 at 6 p.m., 23.94% of the vote was counted.
Yes: 15,690 votes (41.04%)
No: 22,545 votes (58.96%)
Some Gazette readers wrote in to comment on their opposition to Measure Z.
“The results show that Riverside voters want change. They are demanding a fiscally responsible, transparent, accountable and responsive government focused on making Riverside safe and affordable for all,” said resident Dan Hoxworth. “The voters clearly don't trust the current City Council. They gave a resounding defeat to them in voting down Measure Z.”
Hoxworth also said he’s happy that all three council races are headed toward a runoff.
“Despite being outspent by huge margins Luis Hernandez, Aram Arya and Rich Vandenberg all advanced to November,” he said. “I am delighted that despite the low turnout that we have three strong candidates committed to creating housing for Riversiders who make less than $100,000 a year for our college graduating, frontline workers, and downsizing seniors among others.”
Resident Ron Nelthorpe called for more accountability on city spending.
“With the apparent defeat of Measure Z, it's a blessing to the overall City. The free spending needs to be closely looked at and we need to make it mandatory to do a cost benefit analysis on most spending,” Nelthorpe said. “The spending has been somewhat disjointed and out of control for too many years. There needs to be more emphasis on cleaning up the city and repairing the infrastructure such as roads and such to benefit all citizens, not just a few.”
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 5 at 6 p.m., 31.08%% of the vote was counted.
Gracie Torres: 2,253 votes (37.73%)
Aram Ayra: 2,061 votes (34.52%)
Mike Vahl: 1,431 votes (23.97%)
Christen Montero: 226 votes (3.78%)
Both Torres and Ayra put out statements on Thursday thanking supporters and gearing up toward a runoff in November.
“As the results indicate that this race is likely headed to the general election, we are encouraged by the momentum our campaign has built and excited for the opportunity to continue earning the trust of our community,” Torres said in a statement on her Instagram.
Ayra said he was “encouraged by the latest results.”
“...With each update, our vote share has continued to grow, and it is clear that our message is resonating,” Ayra said. “We are grateful for the trending results and are currently placing in the top-two to advance ahead to the November election!” he said in an Instagram statement.
Ward 4
Incumbent Chuck Conder leads Ward 4 with 47.20% — just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff — with all precincts reporting. As of June 5 at 6 p.m., 32.33% of the vote was counted.
Chuck Conder (incumbent): 4,222 votes (47.20%)
Rich Vandenberg: 2,582 votes (28.87%)
Jessica Qattawi: 2,141 votes (23.94%)
In a statement posted on his Facebook Friday morning, Vandenberg thanked his supporters.
“Votes are still being counted, and we’re watching results carefully. Whatever comes next, one thing hasn’t changed: this campaign has always been about serving our community and giving residents a voice,” Vandenberg said. “More updates to come. For now, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
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 5 at 6 p.m., 17.26% of the vote was counted.
Luis Hernandez: 1,470 votes (47.68%)
Oz Puerta: 857 votes (27.80%)
Norma Berrellez: 756 votes (24.52%)
With a runoff election in sight, Puerta said in a statement on his Instagram Friday morning that he has “every intention of seeing this race through to victory.”
“We will continue working hard, earning support, and sharing our vision for a safer, cleaner and more prosperous Ward 6,” he said.
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.
Civic Engagement Reporter who calls the Inland Empire home. Five years covering SoCal. APU journalism grad. Good conversations over coffee and stories that matter.
One day into election ballot counting, results remain largely the same — with Measure Z projected to fail and Torres, Conder and Hernandez leading their respective council races.
Early returns show nearly 60% of voters opposing the city's proposed sales tax increase, which would have raised the rate from 1% to 1.25% and removed its 2036 expiration date.
The U.S. Postal Service says postmarks are applied at processing facilities, not when mail is collected, meaning a ballot dropped in a collection box on Election Day may not be postmarked until the next day and could go uncounted.
