For Jessica Qattawi, neighborhood meetings, local businesses and community boards have been a way to serve Riverside. Now she is seeking a broader role, announcing a run for mayor in 2028.
Qattawi announced her candidacy Wednesday on Facebook. She ran for mayor in 2024 and for the Ward 4 City Council seat this year -- experiences she said reinforced her determination to give residents a stronger voice in city government.
“I’m running for mayor for the same reasons I ran previously for mayor and City Council: I believe Riverside residents deserve stronger representation, responsible spending, and a city government that puts their needs first,” she told the Gazette.
Qattawi said she has called Riverside home for 40 years, with memories ranging from shopping at KB Toys inside the Riverside Plaza to fishing at Fairmount Park.
“This community helped shape who I am,” she said.
Qattawi leads Riverside Neighborhood Partnership and serves on the boards of the Mission Grove Neighborhood Alliance and Neighbors Better Together. Her work with those groups has included traffic challenges, pedestrian safety, public engagement and neighborhood preservation. She has also been a vocal advocate against what she calls "incompatible warehouse development" in the area.
Qattawi is the founder of NV Media, LLC and host of the “What’s Up Inland Empire” podcast, where she’s been a vocal advocate for local businesses. She said she plans to keep those roles while campaigning.
“These organizations have allowed me to connect with residents, understand the issues firsthand and grow as a community leader,” she said. “They are a big part of why I want to serve Riverside.”
Qattawi described her previous campaigns as eye-opening, saying they tested her resilience and deepened her concerns about transparency and whether decisions put residents first.
"I saw firsthand how much happens behind the scenes in local politics that residents don't necessarily get to see, and I was disappointed to realize that not every decision or action appears to put the community's best interests first," she said.
Qattawi ran citywide for mayor in 2024 and received 8,816 votes against incumbent Patricia Lock Dawson. In this year's Ward 4 race, she finished third in the June 2 primary with 26% of the vote — about two points behind Vandenberg’s 28.3% and Conder's 45.6%, missing the November runoff.
In her recent bid for City Council Ward 4, she told the Gazette that her mayoral campaign taught her an important lesson: "When you care deeply about your community, you don't walk away just because the first race is tough."
Homelessness remains her top priority, alongside utility costs and support for seniors, particularly those living on fixed incomes. She also wants the city to do more to support local businesses navigating city processes.
Qattawi said she would pursue local solutions and advocate in Sacramento for changes to state laws she believes may limit the city’s ability to address homelessness.
“These are issues that require more than promises; they require time, commitment and action,” she said.
On housing, Qattawi said Riverside should explore converting underused buildings and properties into affordable homes for working families, seniors and veterans as part of its approach to meeting state housing targets. She said she would support additional density in established neighborhoods “at a responsible rate,” considering infrastructure, traffic, parking and effects on existing residents.
Asked how she would advance her priorities through the City Council, Qattawi said she would build relationships with council members, involve residents earlier in major decisions and be willing to use the mayor’s veto authority.
She pointed to the council’s January rejection of a $20.1 million state grant for the University Terrace affordable housing project as a decision she believed warranted a veto to allow further discussion and community involvement.
“The mayor may not have the deciding vote on every issue, but the position has an important responsibility to lead, advocate and make sure the community’s voice is heard,” she said.
On campaign finances, Qattawi said her support comes from local residents, local businesses and her own contributions. She said she has not accepted money from political action committees or special-interest groups and would maintain that approach.
Campaign finance filings reviewed by the Gazette from her 2024 mayoral bid and her 2026 Ward 4 campaign show no contributions from political action committees. Most of her donors were individuals, and the bulk of her 2024 contributions came from Riverside residents.
Her personal investment came in the form of loans — $6,025 to her mayoral campaign and $500 to her council campaign. Her two largest 2026 contributions came from outside Riverside — $1,000 from Ivory Martin Enterprises in Perris and $1,000 from Hesperia business owner Armando Moran Jr. — and together accounted for about 44% of the roughly $4,570 she raised through May 16.
"I believe accepting large contributions from corporations, developers, or special interests can create expectations and raise questions about whose interests a candidate will ultimately represent," she said. "That's why I choose to keep my campaign independent of those financial influences."
As she begins the campaign, Qattawi said she wants voters to get to know her through her work and direct conversations.
“I want people to know that I’m approachable,” she said. “They can reach out to me, ask questions, and get to know me personally.”
Riverside’s next mayoral election is scheduled for March 7, 2028, according to the city clerk’s office. City Council seats representing Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will also be on the ballot. Current Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether she will seek reelection; we will update this story if she does.
