Coachella, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Coachella Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 5

council seats up

2 contests

9 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

City Council · Vote for up to 2

Voters citywide choose one of four mayoral candidates for a two-year term and up to two of five council candidates for four-year terms.

2 notes on these statements

The county list marks Frank Figueroa (mayor) and Juan M. Martinez (council) as holding their offices by appointment to a vacancy. Riverside County Registrar of Voters · Sep 11, 2026

The Coachella Valley Independent reported that it could not complete an interview with Denise Delgado for its mayoral candidate Q&A; it published answers from the other three mayoral candidates. Coachella Valley Independent

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Yadira PerezMayor Pro Tem and Councilmember; term ends December 20281sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesData centers and the Stronghold agreement, Chromium-6 water treatment costs, How the mayor is chosenKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Last day for counties to begin mailing ballots

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Data centers and the Stronghold agreement

Where it standsThe council terminated its agreement with Stronghold Power Systems in June 2026 and banned large-scale data centers in August 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city responds to Stronghold's continued opposition to the termination and the ban.

  • On Feb. 25, 2026, the council voted unanimously to approve a Municipal Utility Agreement with Coachella Valley Power Services, LLC. Uken Report · Jun 10, 2026
  • On June 4, 2026, the council approved a 45-day moratorium on new data center development and voted to terminate its development agreement with the company behind the project. KVCR · Jun 6, 2026
  • The council voted on Aug. 26, 2026 to ban large-scale data centers within city limits. KVCR · Aug 28, 2026
  • Stronghold's CEO wrote in a letter to the mayor and council that the first phase could have generated an estimated $54 million a year in public revenue benefits. KVCR · Aug 28, 2026

Chromium-6 water treatment costs

Where it standsThe city is working on water rate increases and seeking state and federal funding to meet California's chromium-6 limit.

What's on the tableHow to pay for treatment upgrades and whether to raise water rates.

  • The Coachella Valley Independent cites an estimated one-time cost of $10 million to $16 million, plus $2 million to $3 million a year in operating costs, to meet California's new chromium-6 standards. Coachella Valley Independent
  • Mayor Frank Figueroa said the city is going through a Proposition 218 process on water rate increases. Coachella Valley Independent
  • Mayor Frank Figueroa said the city received a federal grant from Congressman Raul Ruiz to use toward chromium-6 implementation. Coachella Valley Independent

How the mayor is chosen

Where it standsVoters elect the mayor directly; the Nov. 3 ballot fills the seat for a two-year term.

What's on the tableWhether to send a change in the mayor's selection to the voters.

  • On April 22, 2026, the City Council appointed one of its own members, Frank Figueroa, to serve as interim mayor. Coachella Valley Independent
  • The Coachella Valley Independent describes a revolving mayor, rotated each year, as the approach used by the majority of Coachella Valley cities. Coachella Valley Independent
  • Mayor Frank Figueroa said Coachella chose a directly elected mayor by a vote of residents after using a council-selected model until the mid-2000s. Coachella Valley Independent

Growth and the electric utility plan

Where it standsThe council terminated the Stronghold-linked development agreement in June 2026.

What's on the tableHow Coachella pays for infrastructure and approves large projects on its remaining undeveloped land.

  • The Stronghold plan was pitched to the council as part of a larger plan to pay for electrical infrastructure that would open the northeastern part of the city to development. Uken Report · Jun 10, 2026
  • The proposed campus would have spanned up to 450 acres of agricultural land near Avenue 52 and Fillmore Street. KVCR · Jun 6, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Coachella treat data center proposals?

  2. 2. Should the city run background checks on its business partners?

  3. 3. How should Coachella pay for chromium-6 treatment?

  4. 4. How should Coachella choose its mayor?

  5. 5. How should Coachella grow its tax base?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

1 stay (not up this year): Yadira Perez3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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