Ruiz has large lead over Republican challengers in 25th Congressional District primary race
A longtime congressman — Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat who has represented the Coachella Valley since 2013 — has a large lead over the six Republicans seeking to challenge him in the primary race to represent California's 25th Congressional District.
While thousands of vote-by-mail ballots are still being counted in Riverside County, Ruiz has garnered 29,720 votes, or 60% of the total so far, according to preliminary results posted by the California Secretary of State's office.
San Jacinto city councilmember Brian Hawkins, who was endorsed by the California GOP, is in a distant second place, with 7,745 votes, or 15.6%. Brian Tyson, an El Centro physician, sits in third, with 5,489 votes, or 11.1%, while retired farmer James Gibson is in fourth, with 3,226 votes, or 6.5%.
The top two finishers in the primary race to represent the 25th district — regardless of party — advance to the state's general election Nov. 8.
Results are not yet final, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. Approximately 150,000 vote-by-mail and 2,000 provisional ballots still must be processed. Ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day also remain to be counted. The updated results are expected at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The Secretary of State must certify results by July 15.
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The 25th Congressional District, which leans Democratic based on voter registration data, encompasses Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Coachella and Indio, along with all of Imperial County and a sliver of eastern San Bernardino County.
Ruiz, who has represented the entire valley for the past decade but had to choose where to run following the state's redistricting process, opted for the 25th Congressional District in late 2021, citing his Coachella roots — as well as his work on issues involving the Salton Sea — as driving factors in his decision to run in the east valley.
"I am humbled by the incredible support this grassroots campaign has received from every corner of the district," Ruiz said in a statement Tuesday night. "It's a testament to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and I am grateful to everyone who cast a ballot. I look forward to continuing to fight every day on behalf of veterans, seniors, and working families."
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The GOP candidates running against Ruiz, while offering different views on specific issues, have largely argued change is necessary in Congress to begin addressing issues they say are caused by the Biden administration, such as inflation and a lack of investment in the region.
Ruiz has a massive fundraising advantage in the race, with a cash balance of roughly $3.1 million in his campaign account as of late May. Hawkins has raised the second-most in contributions, raising roughly $370,000 since launching his campaign. Tyson, the El Centro-based doctor, has raised roughly $183,000 during his campaign, while none of the other candidates have garnered more than $50,000.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California primary election results: 25th Congressional District race
