America Votes, the Valley Counts

2026 midterm election report • Updated November 4, 2026, Pacific time. Local figures reflect Riverside County’s November 4, 5 p.m. report where available. Results remain unofficial.

Four votes. That was the distance between Waymond Fermon and Gloria Hernandez in Indio’s District 2 council race—a reminder that an election stretching from Washington to the Coachella Valley can come down to a handful of neighbors. Fermon had 776 votes to Hernandez’s 772 in Riverside County’s latest posted tally. This contest still has counting ahead of it.

Nationally, the direction was much clearer. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, according to major news organizations’ projections, setting up a substantial change in Washington. Across the desert, the emerging picture mixed possible historic firsts, strong incumbent performances and competitive races for the people who will oversee roads, housing, parks and public services.

Washington changes direction

Democrats’ gains reached well beyond the usual battlegrounds. They flipped Republican-held Senate seats in Texas, Ohio, Maine, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina and South Carolina. The result will give the incoming Democratic Congress greater power to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda, scrutinize his administration and influence federal spending. Senate control also changes the path for presidential appointments.

The Democratic Senate caucus had secured 54 seats, including two independents, against 44 Republicans, with two contests unresolved in the results reviewed. Final House totals were still developing, although Democratic control had been projected.

Several names helped tell the national story:

Race Reported outcome or status

Texas Senate Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton.

Ohio Senate Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican incumbent Jon Husted.

Maine Senate Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Republican incumbent Susan Collins.

Georgia Senate Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff won against Republican Mike Collins.

Mississippi Senate Democrat Scott Colom led Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes; unresolved.

Alaska Senate Democrat Mary Peltola narrowly led Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan; unresolved.

These are reported outcomes and current standings, rather than certified final totals.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries formally launched his bid for speaker on November 4. His party’s victory puts him in a position to become the first Black Speaker, but that requires election by the House when the new Congress convenes. Democrats scheduled their internal leadership elections for November 18.

Governors’ races also produced major changes. Democrats Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio, Rob Sand in Iowa and Gina Hinojosa in Texas won Republican-held offices.

For Coachella Valley residents, the practical questions now concern what the new Congress can deliver: health care funding, infrastructure investment, household costs and support for local employers. A change in congressional control reshapes negotiations; the results alone cannot promise the outcome of those negotiations.

California: Becerra wins; valley Assembly seats lean toward change

Democrat Xavier Becerra was projected to win California’s governorship over Republican Steve Hilton, according to multiple news organizations.

Two closely watched Assembly contests showed Democratic challengers ahead of Republican incumbents:

District Leading candidate Opponent Reported share

Assembly 36 Ida Obeso-Martinez, Democrat Jeff Gonzalez, Republican incumbent 59%–41%

Assembly 47 Leila Namvar, Democrat Greg Wallis, Republican incumbent 56%–44%

Both remained unofficial in the returns reviewed.

The 36th District contest brought contrasting professional backgrounds to the ballot. Obeso-Martinez is a nurse practitioner and Imperial’s mayor; Gonzalez is a Marine Corps veteran, pastor and small business owner who flipped the seat in 2024. Both identified affordability as a priority. The district spans all of Imperial County and portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, making the complete district count essential.

Congress: Ruiz holds, von Wilpert wins

Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz won reelection in the 25th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ. Its November 4 results showed Ruiz with 76,658 votes, or 64.67%, against Republican Joe Males, with 41,876, or 35.33%.

In the 48th District, Democrat Marni von Wilpert was projected to defeat Republican Jim Desmond. Reported returns showed 95,547 votes for von Wilpert, or 59.50%, against 65,023 for Desmond, or 40.50%. These districtwide figures include Riverside and San Diego counties.

Elsewhere in Riverside County’s congressional picture, Republican Ken Calvert led fellow Republican Young Kim in the 40th District, with 54.39% to 45.61%. That contest had not been called in the snapshot reviewed.

Coachella: history within reach

Councilmember Denise Delgado led Coachella’s four-way mayoral race. If that lead holds, she would become the city’s first elected woman mayor.

The tally showed Delgado at 863, followed by Jesus “Kino” Gonzalez at 753, incumbent Frank Figueroa at 751, and Francisco “Frankie” Molina at 193. For two council seats, Vicente Zamora and Yavonne Zapata led Juan Martinez, Ambar De La Herran and Andrew Gallegos.

Figueroa was appointed mayor in April and sought a full term. Delgado has served on the council since 2020. Their campaigns unfolded amid debate over transparency, public trust and development—issues likely to remain central long after the campaign signs come down.

Across the valley

The following are preliminary standings, with percentages rounded:

Community Race and reported leaders

Palm Springs District 1: Grace Garner 75%, Don Soja 25%. District 3: Ron DeHarte 69%, Charles Brown 31%.

Palm Desert District 4: Evan Trubee 57%, Jonathon Polly 43%. District 5: John Greenwood 60%, Ralph Perry 40%.

Desert Hot Springs District 1: Gary Gardner 60%, Edouard Boumendil 40%. District 3: Jan Pye 63%, Joe Erndt 37%.

Cathedral City District 3: Christina Gordon 57%. District 4: Rick Saldivar 46%. District 5: Antonio Baciu 63%.

Indio District 3: Elaine Holmes 67%, Andrea Bouchard 33%. District 4: Felipe Ortiz 68%, Jonathan Becerra 32%.

La Quinta Mayor: Linda Evans 76%. Council: John Peña and Deborah McGarrey led.

Indian Wells Rob Zwemmer and Michael Hazelton led Karlyn Neel for two council seats.

Palm Springs’ Jeffrey Bernstein ran unopposed in District 2. Garner sought a third term, emphasizing constituent services, affordable housing and municipal facilities. DeHarte, first elected in 2022, faced Brown, who highlighted his executive and budgeting experience.

Palm Desert’s election completes its transition to five individual council districts. Trubee emphasized infrastructure, public safety and balanced finances. Greenwood, an architect and longtime planning commissioner, focused on responsible development and infrastructure. The mayor’s position rotates among councilmembers; this was an election for council seats.

In La Quinta, Evans sought a seventh term against Lynne Langdon and Suzanne Espinoza-Jimenez. Campaign differences included spending, development agreements and how the city balances tourism with residents’ needs.

Indian Wells was guaranteed new representation because Dana Reed and Bruce Whitman did not seek reelection. Its candidates emphasized city finances, public safety, development and communication with residents.

In Rancho Mirage, three candidates ran for three seats: Lynn Mallotto, Steve Downs and Eve Fromberg Edelstein. Their similar totals should not be mistaken for a contest in which only the highest finisher wins.

Parks and schools deserve attention, too

Measure P, the Desert Recreation District tax proposal, had 60.77% support—below its required two-thirds approval threshold. It remained unresolved.

The proposal would charge five cents per square foot of building annually: $100 for a 2,000-square-foot home. The district estimated $11.3 million in annual revenue for parks and recreation services. Its count matters to families using youth programs, older residents attending activities and communities relying on public recreation facilities. A simple majority would not be enough to enact it.

In Palm Springs Unified, Tony Signoret led Charlie Ervin Jr. in Trustee Area 4. Roger Nuñez narrowly led Quana Hall-Beverly in Area 5, with Kaden Cross and Yolanda Bouzas also running.

The next update matters

Riverside County estimated that approximately 455,000 vote-by-mail ballots and 11,000 conditional-registration ballots remained to be counted. It scheduled the next results update for Thursday, November 5, by 6 p.m. Ballots requiring eligible signature corrections could be cured through November 25.

That leaves room for movement, especially in close local races. “All precincts reporting” describes reporting coverage; it does not establish that every eligible ballot has been processed.

For now, Washington’s change in direction is established by major projections. The valley’s unfinished business is more personal: which neighbor will represent a district, who will guide a school board, and whether a parks proposal can reach its required threshold. Those decisions deserve the same patient attention as the national head