Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Moreno Valley Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 5

council seats up

3 contests

12 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 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

Christopher BacaOn the ballot for mayor with the designation Community Volunteer.1sourced
Patsy D. BrownPastor, educator and community advocate, according to her candidate statement.2sourced
Ulises CabreraIncumbentMayor of Moreno Valley since 2022 and a former District 4 councilmember first elected in 2017. He is a business owner.8sourced
Jaime HurtadoBusiness owner and former chief of staff to a Riverside County supervisor. His statement also lists work as an Employment Development Specialist and as Manager of the International Business Office.1sourced
Vanessa Renee MooreBusinesswoman and longtime Moreno Valley resident, according to her campaign site.3sourced
Rylee Joseph PeakMoreno Valley city commissioner who chairs the Parks, Community Services, and Trails Committee.3sourced

City Council District 2 · 1 seat

City Council District 4 · 1 seat

Every voter picks one mayoral candidate; voters in Districts 2 and 4 also pick one councilmember. Districts 1 and 3 are not on this ballot.

4 notes on these statements

District 2 is an open seat: the incumbent, Ed Delgado, is not on the ballot. Riverside County Registrar of Voters

Mayor Ulises Cabrera and Councilmember Erlan Gonzalez are listed as endorsers on Steven Granda Alvarado's campaign site. Steven Granda Alvarado campaign site

Mayor Ulises Cabrera and Councilmember Erlan Gonzalez are listed as endorsers on Liza Arellano's campaign site. Liza Arellano campaign site

Councilmembers Elena Baca-Santa Cruz and Ed Delgado are listed as endorsers on Cheylynda Barnard's campaign site. Cheylynda Barnard campaign site

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Elena Baca-Santa CruzCouncilmember, District 16sourced Erlan GonzalezMayor Pro Tem; Councilmember, District 36sourced

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesWarehouses and the general plan, Child care district, City events and immigration enforcement Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Warehouses and the general plan

Where it standsA 45-day moratorium on new logistics warehouses won three of five votes in February 2026 but failed because it needed four. The council adopted a new general plan in April 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to limit or pause new warehouse projects, and how to apply the new general plan to industrial land.

The moratorium failed 3-2 on Feb. 3, 2026: Barnard, Baca-Santa Cruz and Delgado voted yes; Cabrera and Gonzalez voted no. It needed a four-fifths vote. Moreno Valley City Council minutes, February 3, 2026 · Feb 3, 2026
Moreno Valley is the site of the World Logistics Center, which will add another 40 million square feet of warehouses. The Press-Enterprise · Feb 4, 2026
The state attorney general's office has raised concerns about the amount of warehouse development in Moreno Valley. The Press-Enterprise · Feb 4, 2026
On April 21, 2026, the council voted 5-0 to adopt the 2024 General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan. Moreno Valley City Council minutes, April 21, 2026 · Apr 21, 2026

Child care district

Where it standsIn April 2026 the council voted 3-2 to deny a resolution supporting AB 2083, which would create a Moreno Valley–Perris child care special district.

What's on the tableWhether the city joins or supports a regional child care district if the idea returns.

Baca-Santa Cruz moved to decline the pilot; Delgado and Barnard voted with her, and Cabrera and Gonzalez voted against the rejection. The Press-Enterprise · Apr 22, 2026
Long-term funding and continuation of the district would later have to go to voters. The Press-Enterprise · Apr 22, 2026

City events and immigration enforcement

Where it standsIn August 2025 the council voted 4-1 to hold the city's remaining 2025 events as planned despite concerns about federal immigration enforcement.

What's on the tableHow the city handles public events if immigration enforcement concerns continue.

The council voted 4-1 to move forward with its events as planned for the rest of 2025; Baca-Santa Cruz voted no. The Riverside Record · Aug 20, 2025
The council's direction covered the remaining special events scheduled for 2025. Moreno Valley City Council minutes, August 19, 2025 · Aug 19, 2025

Affordable housing

Where it standsSeveral candidates list affordable housing as a priority in their statements and campaign materials.

What's on the tableHow much the city does to add affordable homes.

Vanessa Renee Moore sets a goal of increasing affordable housing from 1,000 to 3,000 units. Ballotpedia · Aug 14, 2026
Liza Arellano says she would fast-track affordable housing developments. Ballotpedia · Sep 23, 2026

Permits and red tape

Where it standsTwo candidates say city rules make it too hard or slow to get things done.

What's on the tableWhether to streamline city permitting and business rules.

Rylee Joseph Peak's statement calls for removing red tape to make government faster, simpler and more responsive. Riverside County Registrar of Voters
Steven Granda Alvarado says he will cut red tape to make it easier to do business in the city. Steven Granda Alvarado campaign site

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. Should Moreno Valley pause new warehouse projects?
2. Should the city support the proposed Moreno Valley–Perris child care district (AB 2083)?
3. If federal immigration enforcement is a concern, what should the city do with its public events?
4. How hard should the city push to add affordable housing?
5. Should the city loosen its permitting and business rules?

Seat the Council →

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

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailingRiverside County Registrar of VotersOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to voteRiverside County Registrar of VotersOct 19, 2026
Election Day (polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)City of Moreno ValleyNov 3, 2026

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Elena Baca-Santa Cruz, Erlan Gonzalez3 on this ballot

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

Moreno Valley has a directly elected mayor and a four-member City Council elected by district. City of Moreno Valley
Councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms; the mayor serves a two-year term. City of Moreno Valley City Clerk
The mayor votes on council items; the April 2026 General Plan vote, for example, was 5-0 with Mayor Cabrera voting yes. Moreno Valley City Council minutes, April 21, 2026 · Apr 21, 2026
The council appoints the city manager. City of Moreno Valley

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