Coachella Valley Congressman Faces Hemet Mayor In Tuesday Election

INDIO, CA — Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Indio, will attempt to extend his tenure in Congress to an eighth term Tuesday, facing a strong challenge from the Republican mayor of Hemet, Joes Males.

The battle for District 25 covers geography extending just north of Interstate 40 in San Bernardino County, south to the Mexican border in Imperial County, east to the Arizona state line and a two-branch western boundary, the lower half of which extends into the Hemet Valley, while the upper part curves into the San Gorgonio Pass via Desert Hot Springs, north of Interstate 10.

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Ruiz was first elected to Congress in 2012, after defeating then- incumbent Mary Bono. The general practitioner said in campaign literature that he's "furious" with the Trump administration over the "tariffs and war in Iran (that) have increased prices for gas, cars and appliances."

The congressman said that he's dedicated to "lowering the cost of living" through legislation and "improving MediCal coverage for thousands of local families."

The issues page of his campaign website also listed environmental protection, lowering out-of-pocket expenses for medical services and facilitating veterans with access to government services as priorities.

Males, a former U.S. Marine who was first elected to the Hemet City Council in 2020, said in his campaign statement that he's "running (for Congress) to bring leadership and commonsense solutions to Washington for the people of the Inland Empire."

The mayor lost one of his two sons in a knife attack outside a Hemet bar in 2016, and he has cited that experience as one of the driving factors behind his desire to serve in government.

"I've always been a person that gets things done," the congressional candidate said, adding that he stands "for public safety and the rule of law."

He has acknowledged publicly that Congress cannot be the sole instrument for curing all social ills, but he asserted that he would be a voice for holding down "federal taxes, spending and regulations."