Coachella Councilmember Denise Delgado appears to be positioning for Mayoral run while facing recall effort

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — Coachella City Councilmember Denise Delgado appears to be preparing a campaign for mayor after filing official campaign documents with the City of Coachella, even as a recall effort against her remains underway.

Public records posted on the City of Coachella's campaign finance website show Delgado has filed a Form 501 (Candidate Intention Statement) and a Form 410 (Statement of Organization Recipient Committee), two required documents that establish a candidate's intent to seek elected office and organize a campaign committee.

Under California's Political Reform Act, a Form 501 is filed before a candidate solicits or receives campaign contributions, while a Form 410 establishes a recipient committee for campaign fundraising and reporting purposes. Filing the documents is an early step in launching a campaign but does not, by itself, constitute a formal declaration of candidacy.

The filings indicate Delgado is taking the necessary steps to pursue the office of mayor in Coachella's 2026 municipal election.

The apparent campaign move comes as Delgado is also facing an active recall effort. Organizers previously submitted recall petitions targeting the councilmember, with signatures undergoing verification by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters to determine whether the recall qualifies for the ballot.

Delgado has previously defended her record in office, describing the recall effort as politically motivated while pointing to accomplishments during her time on the City Council.

Mayor Figueroa emphasized that the election process should ultimately be decided by voters.

"I just want to let the people of Coachella know, we live in the United States of America, where the last time I checked, we still live in a democracy," said Mayor Figueroa. "Residents of Coachella are able to vote, and this November they'll have the ability to vote for a mayor and two city council members and nomination periods are open in the City of Coachella and any resident who meets the criteria is able to pull the paperwork for any of those seats. And at the end of the day, in November the residents of Coachella will choose who they want to represent them on city council," said the mayor.

The Deputy City Clerk for the City of Coachella, Delia Granados, confirmed to News Channel 3 over the phone that the paper work has been received by the city, and that Council member Delgado can pull her filing before August 7th if she changes her mind about a run for mayor.

In a written statement, Granados said, "She (Denise) was just issued the Nomination Documents.  A candidate needs to file the Nomination Documents with the city.  After the registrar of Voters office verifies a candidate’s signatures, the candidate will be considered qualified."

Back in 2022, Council member Delgado ran for mayor against then-incumbent Steven Hernandez, losing by just 59 votes.

We have reached out to Council Member Delgado for comment and are awaiting a response.