Vice Mayor Rivas Launches 2026 Re-Election Bid with Pasadena Kickoff

Pasadena Vice Mayor Jess Rivas announced her re-election campaign kickoff in an email sent Saturday, signaling the formal start of her 2026 bid. The October 4 event, hosted by Tim and Joanne Wendler with special guests California Senator Sasha Renée Pérez and Councilmember Rick Cole, represents the next step in a four-year ascent from political newcomer to influential progressive voice on the City Council.

Rivas said she would run for reelection in late July. In that earlier statement, she 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 Pasadena and the region.

The Primary Nominating Election for District 5 is scheduled for June 2, 2026.

Rivas was initially unanimously appointed to the Council after Victor Gordo vacated the District 5 position to assume the position of mayor. Her 2022 campaign proceeded without opposition, drawing 2,237 votes against 54 votes for a write-in.

She secured endorsements from Democratic officials including Mayor Gordo, Representative Judy Chu, then-Senator Anthony Portantino,  then-Assemblymember Chris Holden, Democrats of Pasadena Foothills, and National Women’s Political Caucus.

During her tenure, Rivas has taken positions that align with progressive priorities while occasionally standing alone on council votes. She championed Measure H, the rent control initiative that passed with 54% voter support, and has repeatedly opposed unlimited campaign contributions, sometimes casting solitary dissenting votes.

Rivas brings legal and military experience to the position, having served as deputy attorney general with California’s Department of Justice, deputy county counsel with Los Angeles County, and as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve. She holds degrees from Princeton University and NYU Law School. Her December 2024 elevation to vice mayor followed nomination by Councilmember Steve Madison.

Her policy focus has centered on housing issues, noting that renters comprise about 57% of Pasadena’s population but lack representation on the City Council.

She has supported the $23 million tri-city housing trust with Burbank and Glendale and backed mixed-income development projects.

On environmental issues, she supported Pasadena Water and Power’s commitment to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Rivas’s 2026 campaign launches without announced challengers.

Her campaign website is at jess4council.com and continues the grassroots approach that characterized her previous race.