Your Vote 2022: Meet CA’s 25th Congressional District candidates

There is just more than a month until the November 8 Election Day.

After redistricting, the Coachella Valley is now sliced into two congressional districts.

District 25 includes Hemet, Banning, Beaumont, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, the eastern Coachella Valley, all of Imperial County, and parts of San Bernardino County.

Sitting Congressman Raul Ruiz, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican candidate and San Jacinto councilmember Brian Hawkins, who is endorsed by the state's GOP.

"I've taken a very pragmatic, doctor approach to problem solving, to putting people above politics," Ruiz said.

"I want people to know that me getting elected into office, you're not going to lose a voice," Hawkins said.

In the June primary, Ruiz earned 56 percent of the vote. Hawkins earned 16 percent.

News Channel 3 asked the candidates where they stand on big issues:

On abortion –

Ruiz: "I will continue to fight and advocate to expand birth control and to ensure that women have their reproductive freedom and the right to their health care, including abortions,

Hawkins: "My personal beliefs. I'm a pro-life...I don't think that anybody should deny a woman's health care rights."

On LGBTQ rights –

Ruiz: "I fight for equality for everyone, regardless of the gender of the person that you love. I support the Equality Act."

Hawkins: "No matter what kind of laws you write, I don't think anybody should be denied access on who they decide to love or who they decide to marry."

On gun control –

Ruiz: "We need to take a public health approach to reduce gun violence in America. That means ensuring that individuals who are at high risk of hurting themselves or others do not get their hands on guns."

Hawkins: "As an ex felon, I'm not allowed to own a gun. But I do believe that people should have a right to protect themselves... I think that we should start looking at mental health."

Ruiz touts his record on lowering the cost of living through the Inflation Reduction Act, progress on the Salton Sea, and helping veterans who were exposed to burn pits.

Hawkins hopes to focus on education and shrinking class sizes, immigration, and increasing affordable housing.

"A lot of my work has been in and done in a bipartisan way that really gets results," Ruiz said.

"If you really want to help society, the best thing to do is send the doctor back to the ER and someone like myself to DC," Hawkins said.