Rivas Announces Re-Election Bid for City Council

Vice Mayor Jessica Rivas has announced her bid for re-election to the Pasadena City Council District 5 seat, saying she remains committed to building a better future for the city despite what she described as worsening national and global conditions.

In an email, Rivas pointed to war abroad, climate disasters such as the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, and what she called an “incompetent and malicious federal administration.”

She also condemned the presence of heavily armed, masked federal agents in the region.

Masked immigration officers have detained several local residents sparking protests and an official statement by the City Council.

Despite the challenges, Rivas said she remains deeply optimistic and believes that a better future is possible and that “it starts right here in Pasadena.”

“Together, we will show that we can build affordable housing, that we can power our city with clean energy, that our families can live and thrive in safe neighborhoods and streets, and that our local government can be competent, accountable, and transparent. None of this is radical. It is necessary. However, we still have much work to do. That’s why I am running for re-election to the Pasadena City Council to represent District 5.”

Rivas was appointed to the City Council in 2021 and later elected to represent District 5. She currently serves as Pasadena’s vice mayor.

Rivas previously served as a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice and as deputy county counsel with the county.

She also served as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve. She graduated from Princeton University and New York University School of Law.

District 5, along with districts 3 and 7, will be up for grabs in the June election. The nomination period opens in February.