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Several candidates are vying for public office in the Coachella Valley in 2022. Here are some of the races that are expected to be contested. In addition, you can find out who is running for City Council, Water Departments, and Police. You can also see who is running for Mayor. The list of candidates for 2022 is long, but it does cover the most important positions. Read on to learn about each candidate.

Mayor races

More than 40 candidates filed to run for the Mayor position in 2022, and another 27 filed declarations of interest. Of those, 12 qualified to run for the position of Mayor. The candidates range from Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de Leon to developer Rick Caruso. But one question remains: Will they succeed? So let's take a closer look at the candidates and their platforms. Below, you'll find a brief synopsis of their respective campaigns.

Michael H. Wilson - A former Indio city councilmember and Indio mayor - has hinted at a possible 2022 run against Riverside County Supervisor Juan Perez. Wilson has expressed interest in the seat and has held fundraisers. In April, he posted an official portrait on his Facebook page. Supporters speculated that an announcement was imminent. However, as of June 2018, no candidate had been declared a favorite. 

City Council

Local politics watchers are nervous as the redrawing of the California congressional map split the Coachella Valley in half. Without congressional representation, the valley will lose its clout in Washington. So, who is running for political office in the Coachella Valley in 2022? Three young, largely unknown candidates have already announced their candidacy. While it may be surprising to see these names on a ballot, the candidates all seem intelligent and thoughtful about their reasons for running.

The two Senate seats in the Coachella Valley will not be up for grabs until 2024. Until then, the county's other seat will remain vacant. Other statewide, county and congressional races will take place in November. There are two races for the Riverside County district attorney at the county level. A Republican is running against a Democrat, while another is a Democrat.

Water Departments

Water departments are a growing force in California politics, and this year, five candidates are vying for the director of the Coachella Valley Water District. The current director is elected by voters from all five divisions of CVWD, but Measure "D" would limit voting to residents in the division in which the candidate lives. In addition, this measure would result in a reduction of water allocations from the State Water Project, which collects water from Northern California rivers and redistributes it to cities through aqueducts. The Coachella Valley also holds rights to water exchanged with the Metropolitan Water District, and both systems are at unprecedented low levels.

Despite increasing concerns about the state's drought, the Desert Water Agency and Mission Springs Water District have ranked as the top residential water users in California this winter. According to state data, Indio's water usage rose only 2% from January to July of this year, but Mission Springs' water usage increased by 4.5%. As a result, water use increased by nearly 20% statewide between July and January, a higher number than in the Coachella Valley.

Palm Springs

With a crowded primary field, who is running for political office in the Coachella Valley in 2022? There are four candidates for the state Senate seat, including Democratic Shrina Kurani, Republican John Michael Lucio, and no party preference candidate Anna Nevenic. One candidate, Will Rollins, moved to Palm Springs from Canyon Lake earlier. Ruiz has endorsed Rollins in this race.

The redrawing of the California congressional map sliced the Coachella Valley in half. That change made local politics watchers nervous. Without congressional representation, the Coachella Valley would lose its voice in Washington. Meanwhile, three new, largely unknown candidates are running for the 41st House District. These new faces are refreshing, as each one of the four has intelligent and thoughtful reasons for running.

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia is seeking another term in the California State Assembly. His new district includes the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Indio, and Imperial County. The new district is a competitive district, including the counties of Riverside and Imperial. In addition, the district includes several cities and unincorporated areas north of Interstate 10.

Palm Desert

With so many candidates vying for the seat of U.S. Senator in California, who is running in 2022 for political Office in Coachella Valley? While the other Coachella Valley Senate seat won't be up for grabs until 2024, several local county offices may go to a contested race. Here are a few of the most likely candidates. Read on to find out more about the candidates' backgrounds.

Silver, a Democrat, has said she intends to run for the state Senate. In November, she narrowly lost her election to incumbent Jeff Stone, losing by 3.2 percent of the vote. However, Silver is already laying the groundwork for a potential run in 2022. Moreover, she has the backing of the Democratic establishment and is widely seen as the favorite. But the race for the seat is far from over.

While there are many candidates, some local political leaders refuse to talk about their party's deterioration. The GOP is a divided organization, and the leadership is divided between rivals. Ramos Watson's endorsement of Nestande is a gold mine, but the void is still a real possibility. The Coachella Valley has nine different cities, and the politics of local government directly affect the lives of residents.

Indio

As the following California state senator, the voters of the Coachella Valley will have an opportunity to choose their representative in Sacramento. The district contains Indio, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, and Southern San Bernardino County. An independent redistricting commission crafted the new map. The region has always been part of one congressional district, but the recent redistricting changes have split it into two. The result is the potential for another race between two incumbents.

The candidate from Indio has a strong history in the area. His grandfather, John F. Kennedy, was a frequent visitor to the site, and a plaque is now in the church where he once sat during mass. Many of his family members have roots in the area, including his mother, born and raised in Indio. A recent article in the Palm Springs Sun featured a local actor who grew up in the area. 

Desert Hot Springs

Mayor Pro Tem Gary Gardner of Desert Hot Springs, California, is running for reelection as a City Council member. Gardner was elected to City Council in 2018, and his term expires at the end of this year. He has served on the city's planning commission and human rights committee, among other roles. He recently posted a campaign video on his Facebook page. The city of Desert Hot Springs will move to by-district elections in 2022. Gardner runs for District 1, located south of Pierson Boulevard and west of Palm Drive. Jan Pye is properly running for district 3. She held multiple jobs from 2013 to 2022 as a city councilperson but has not announced her candidacy yet. Councilmembers Russel Betts, Roger Nunez and Mayor Scott Matas, will be serving their term to 2024.

Police

The Coachella Valley will be divided in two by redrawing California's congressional map, which has some local politics watchers worried. The Coachella Valley would lose its voice in Washington, D.C, without congressional representation. But locals needn't worry: Four new candidates are running for political office in 2022. Three of them are largely unknown, but they are bright and have good reasons to run.

In Riverside County, Sheriff Chad Bianco will run for a second term to continue his service as the county's top law enforcement officer. He'll face retired police department Capt. Michael Lujan, who entered the race in March. Meanwhile, the county board of supervisor's representative in the Coachella Valley has no challengers. Governor Gavin Newsom is up for reelection, but he's already faced a recall effort. 

Meanwhile, in Riverside County, district attorney Mike Hestrin faces two challengers. Both aspire to higher office, and neither is running for governor. The other seat in the state Legislature will be up for grabs in November. In the county, however, some races could be decided in June. For example, the district attorney's race in Riverside County may be decided in June, and the district attorney's race in Palm Springs will go to a general election in 2024.