Indio Mayor Oscar Ortiz plans challenge to Rep. Raul Ruiz in 2024
Federal Election Commission filings obtained by News Channel 3 show Oscar Ortiz of Indio intends to run for United States Congress next year, in a direct challenge with fellow Democrat and incumbent Congressmember Dr. Raul Ruiz.
Ortiz told News Channel 3 Friday morning that he believes people in California's District 25 are "ready for new leadership."
“We are in the process of filing for congressional candidacy. We do want to let people know we respect our current Congressman and his commitment to our community, but in speaking with our residents, we believe our constituents are ready for new leadership. We believe we have the right relationships throughout the community, we have a great work ethic, and we have a great campaign team of community members that are ready to bring better leadership for our district.”
Oscar Ortiz, Mayor of Indio
"Oscar Ortiz for Congress" is the title of the principal campaign committee that is listed on the filing.
Ortiz grew up in Indio after immigrating from Mexicali. He was first elected to City Council in Indio in 2018. He is a 2008 graduate of Indio High School and a 2012 graduate of Stanford University.
Dr. Raul Ruiz currently represents California's 25th District. He has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since an election in 2012. As the son of farmworkers, he grew up in Coachella, attended Coachella Valley High School, and earned degrees from UCLA and Harvard University. In the 2022 election, he was challenged by Republican candidate and San Jacinto councilmember Brian Hawkins.
We reached out to Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz's office for comment and are waiting to hear back.
The 2024 election will be the second time Coachella Valley residents are voting for the United States House of Representative seats since redistricting sliced the valley 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.
