The 2026 California Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 2. Mail ballots were delivered to the U.S. Post Office on May 4 and early voting began the same day.

Due to California’s redistricting with the passage of Prop 50 last fall, the Morongo Basin now falls into two congressional districts for the US House of Representatives. The majority of the Morongo Basin is in District 23, currently represented by Republican Jay Obernolte. A slice of Twentynine Palms, along with much of the low desert, is now located in District 25, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz. To see how your district changed, you can use Cal Matter’s election district look up map.

Below we’ll share basic voting information, brief background on the candidates for the US House in both District 23 and 25, and responses from Tessa Lynn Hodge and Pat Wallis, both Democrats running in District 23, to a questionnaire sent to all candidates about issues affecting the Morongo Basin.

Voting information and resources

You should have already received your voter guides and mail ballot. To check your voter registration status, register to vote, find your polling place and other election information, use the following links:

• Check if you’re registered to vote, find your polling place, and get election information on the California Secretary of State’s website.

• Register to vote by May 18. If you miss the deadline, you must complete same day voter registration.

• For more detailed information, CalMatters also produced a comprehensive guide of voting FAQs and resources.

California holds an open primary, meaning that you can vote for a candidate of any party, and the top two candidates receiving the most votes will move on to the general election.

Voting deadlines

The following deadlines apply to the primary election, which takes place on June 2:

• May 4: Mail ballots are sent, voters may pick up a ballot or vote early at an early voting site.

• May 5: Secure ballot boxes open. Here is a link to ballot box locations.

• May 18: Last day to register to vote online. After you must complete same day voter registration.

• May 28: Vote centers open for early in-person voting. The County Registrar lists these locations here. The closest location is 6171 Sunburst St. in Joshua Tree. Voting takes place in this location from May 28 to June 2, 10 am to 6 pm.

• June 2: Primary Election, mail-in-ballots must be postmarked on or before election day.

District 23 Candidates

Since 2021, District 23 has been represented in Congress by Jay Obernolte, who lives in Big Bear. Obernolte is a Republican who often sides with President Trump on issues including immigration, environmental regulation, and defense. His 2025 Town Hall in Yucca Valley drew more than 200 people, many who came to express their dissatisfaction with his policies and approach to governance.

Including Obernolte, there are five candidates running to represent District 23:

• Jay Obernolte (Republican, Incumbent) Owner of Farsight Studios, a software development company and resident of Big Bear. Former mayor of Big Bear and representative to the California State Assembly. Endorsements include the Police Officers’ Defense Coalition, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.

• Tessa Lynn Hodge (Democrat) Clinical social worker and business owner and lifelong district resident. Endorsements include the California Democratic Party, Teamsters 1932, California Young Democrats, San Bernardino County Young Democrats, United Food and Commercial Workers 1167, and many local mayors.

• Karsten Nicholson (Democrat) Freelance journalist based in Crestline. No endorsements listed on his website.

• Pat Wallis (Democrat) Army veteran and software developer based in Yucca Valley. Endorsed by Denise Davis, City Council Member, Redlands, California and Paul Dulisse, Captain, NYFD LTC, US Army (Ret.).

• Karen Lee Matthews (No Party Preference) Navy veteran, doctor, and small business owner. Endorsed by the Forward Party, Former Republican California State Senator William Emmerson, and Independent Candidates Action.

District 25 Candidates

Democrat Dr. Raul Ruiz, who is based in Indio, has represented the 25th district since redistricting in 2022. He has been in office since 2012, when he beat Mary Bono Mack in the 36th district in a highly competitive race. In the 2024 primary he received 82% of the vote.

Including Ruiz, there are five candidates running in the 25th district:

• Dr. Raul Ruiz (Democrat, Incumbent) Emergency physician, founder and director of the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative, serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

• Ronald Huffman (Republican) Journeyman Electrical Worker and Control Operator, as well as a union steward.

• Joe Males (Republican) Marine Veteran, small business-owner, Hemet city council member. Endorsements include the Republican Party of Riverside County and the San Bernardino Republican Party.

• Ceci Andrade Truman (Republican) No profession or endorsements listed.

• Eli Owens (No Party Preference) Tech industry leader and early leader of California’s cannabis economy. No endorsements listed.

All candidates regardless of party were sent a questionnaire with the same eight questions pertaining to how they would approach issues impacting Morongo Basin residents. We received responses from two Democratic candidates in the 23rd District, Tessa Lynn Hodge and Pat Wallis. We are publishing the answers as we received them, with edits to spelling or grammar as needed. If we receive more responses, we will include them here.

Candidate responses on issues impacting the Morongo Basin: Tessa Lynn Hodge and Pat Wallis, Democratic Candidates, District 23

1. Jobs and the Local Economy

The Morongo Basin economy depends heavily on Joshua Tree National Park, and on the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Federal workforce reductions and shutdowns are already affecting both. In addition, the changing economy has caused slowdowns and softening in the tourist economy the Morongo Basin depends on. What concrete steps would you take to protect and diversify the economic base of communities like Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, and other Morongo Basin communities?

Tess Lynn Hodge: As a lifelong resident of the district and small business owner I know how difficult it can be to make ends meet in a rural community. What we have seen under this administration and others is Congress governing through crisis. Instead of working collaboratively, negotiating in good faith, and passing budgets that fund our schools, healthcare, and needed services, members in both parties are using budgets, and the American people, as bargaining chips.

While I can’t guarantee that I can get all 435 members of the House to play nice, what I can do is introduce legislation that protects national park workers and the surrounding communities during a government shutdown. This legislation would include funding to keep our beloved national parks, like Joshua Tree, open, and federal employees like our national park workers paid when a shutdown happens. The legislation would also include that no member of Congress shall be paid if a shutdown occurs. I’ve yet to hold a position where I get paid to not do my job and I don’t intend for my position as your representative to work that way either.

We also need stronger programs to help small businesses. Small businesses are more likely to reinvest into their own communities, provide entry-level employment opportunities, and create around two-thirds of all new jobs. Ensuring small business owners have access to SBA microloans, grants specifically targeted to small businesses, and programs to help build technical skills is vital to ensuring that the Morongo Basin has a robust economy.

We should also seek to create additional partnerships with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. By creating new partnerships and programs we can help veterans start small businesses after leaving the military and encourage them to stay local, and create training and apprenticeship programs for veterans and their family members in healthcare, clean energy, or the trades.

Pat Wallis: The economy of the Morongo Basin must diversify if we are to create the types of jobs families can build a future on. A strong regional economy can’t be built around a single pillar, whether that’s federal payrolls, defense contractors, or tourism. When any one of those softens, families here feel it immediately. Rising to the challenge of building a future where our kids can imagine living and thriving here means doing something we haven’t actually done, and that is to deliberately build a regional economic development plan.

Community colleges like Copper Mountain exemplify excellence. The rub is that they are training people for the economy we have today. That’s necessary and hard work, but it’s not enough. As a former city planner [in the town of Moraga, CA] and military master planner, I understand what it takes to build the future our region deserves. Together, we must design an economy to sustain our shared vision for the future of our region — and work backward from there. That’s planning 101.

Where do we want the Morongo Basin and the wider Hi-Desert to be in 20 years? Once we can answer those questions honestly, the obstacles to reaching our shared future become clear.

• What types of high-tech jobs in engineering and science do we need to support to realize this future?

• Do we need a four-year higher education presence to train and educate the workforce we need?

• What anchor institutions (hospitals, universities, government centers, …) do we need to seed?

• What modes of regional manufacturing make sense given our water, land, and workforce?

• How many mouths can regional agriculture realistically feed?

• What kinds of light manufacturing and high-skilled jobs can we genuinely attract?

Finding answers to these questions changes the game in how we talk about jobs here. Without a map, we drift and lose our way. This is exactly how our region became a dumping ground for warehouse sprawl, data centers, logistics hubs, solar farms, and other extractive industries that don’t serve our desert communities and don’t pay a living wage.

My vision is for a regional economy that’s self-reliant and self-resilient.

I’m fighting for a future where our kids can afford to live here because the jobs are good, where wealth circulates locally instead of being siphoned away by absentee investors.

I’m fighting for a future where the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center and Joshua Tree National Park are pillars of a diversified economy — not its entirety.

As your US Representative, I’ll propose laws and policies that build toward that shared future, with the planning rigor it deserves.

2. Affordable Housing

What federal funding or policies would you support to bring more affordable housing to the Hi-Desert communities like Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: The housing issue is multi-layered with several factors affecting the rising costs of both rent and home ownership. What we all know is that many of us are being priced out of the communities we love, and members of our community entering adulthood after graduating high school and college are increasingly unable to move out of the family home.

A significant issue in the Morongo Basin is the high number of homes that have been turned into short term vacation rentals. We must protect housing for actual residents by working across local, state, and federal jurisdictions to place limits on short term vacation homes and corporations who buy up homes as investments.

An issue I believe we all know all too well is the red tape and bureaucracy that exists when trying to build. There is a big difference between protecting our environment with smart policy and the bureaucratic nightmare that currently exists. It’s interesting that across the country AI Data Centers have been able to go up in the blink of an eye, but affordable diverse housing seems to be at a standstill. Again, at the local, state, and federal level elected officials must work together to address bureaucratic barriers to building the housing we need. I will work with our local and state officials to identify those barriers and identify federal assistance to streamline building processes.

At the federal level I would support and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit which incentivizes the development of affordable rental housing. I would also support rural housing grants which provide low interest loans and grants for those in rural areas looking to buy or even repair their homes. I also support the expansion of first time home buyer assistance programs and low interest loan programs.

Pat Wallis: Housing in the Morongo Basin is broken. In some communities, a third to half of residential homes have been pulled off the long-term market by hedge funds, speculators, and short-term rental operators. I’ve seen the aerial maps of the homes yanked from the market, and it paints a devastating picture. Don’t believe the lies that we can just build our way out of the problem when investors are buying faster than we build.

This leads to another critical point. We need to build housing that the people of our district can afford. The core to any solution for our housing affordability and availability crisis is to return existing homes to the people who live and work here. I’ll push to eliminate the “active income” tax loophole that rewards investors for turning homes into hotels, and I’ll support the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act with amendments that would cap how many housing units corporations could own in any zip code. This includes an exemption for portfolios of 10 homes or fewer to protect local mom-and-pop landlords. Our goal should be for local families to build generational wealth. It should be to support Wall Street in building ever-larger monopolies.

I’ll also support federal legislation to encourage investment in shared-equity homeownership models like the Champlain Housing Trust (Burlington, VT), which, when founded with seed money from the City of Burlington, was then led by Mayor Bernie Sanders. In 1984, it was the largest community land trust in the U.S. In 2008, it won the UN World Habitat Award. This is a model for affordable housing we should replicate far and wide.

Other measures include first-time homebuyer assistance and zoning that allows multigenerational housing, so seniors can age in place near family. For renters, I support rental-market standards that prevent predatory increases and federal matching grants to expand affordable student and workforce housing partnerships.

But none of this works if the communities most affected have no formal voice in their own future. The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council was dissolved in 2021 and never reconstituted, and that’s not a great outcome for hearing people’s voices. No community should ever be surprised by major development or infrastructure decisions in its own backyard.

Federal economic development law already requires regional planning that engages community leaders, residents, and stakeholders — through the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, process administered by the Economic Development Administration. I’ll fight to amend the federal CEDS regulations so unincorporated communities can elect their own representatives to the planning process — directly. Federal infrastructure and housing dollars shouldn’t flow through plans that don’t give residents of the Morongo Basin a voice.

3. Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid

Many residents here depend on Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal to survive. Recent federal budget proposals threaten to cut these programs. Will you commit to protecting them — and how will you use your seat in Congress to do so?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: Unequivocally, yes. We are all just one bad day away from needing social supports like Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Social Security. In my time as a social worker in this community I have met far too many residents who did “everything right”; they worked hard, got a good job, saved, and because of one bad day like an accident at work, a car accident, a severe medical diagnosis, a job loss, etc. they lost everything. We must protect these safety nets for all of us, because goodness forbid it’s the day you need them but don’t qualify because of some “T” that isn’t crossed or “I” that isn’t dotted, or because someone judged you as “undeserving”. Matthew 25:40 says “The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.

In Congress I will fight to ensure that Social Security remains solvent, and that benefits are not cut and the retirement age is not raised. We must do away with the Social Security Tax cap. Currently the cap sits at $185,500 which means that the working and middle class are disproportionately propping up the Social Security system, and it is not sustainable. For Medicare and Medicaid I will never vote for a budget that cuts these programs. In our rural areas our hospitals depend on Medicaid and Medicare funds to survive and stay open.

I will also fight for a single payer healthcare system like Medicare for all. The fact of the matter is that when people have stable access to preventative healthcare, dental care, and mental health services, they are more successful, miss less work, are able to spend more in the economy, and our hospitals have less emergency room visits, and are able to focus on treatment instead of fighting with insurance companies. Ensuring that people have affordable access to healthcare is a rising tide that lifts all boats, especially economically.

Pat Wallis: I will protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid without qualification.

Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits. Working Americans pay into them their entire careers, and the deal is simple: contribute now, draw on it later. Cutting them to finance tax cuts for the wealthiest is a betrayal of that compact. Medicaid is different — it’s not something workers pay into and earn back. It’s a commitment we make as a society to make sure people who can’t afford care still get it. In a working-class district like ours, it’s not just a solemn commitment to one another; it’s a lifeline.

In CA-23, 48% of residents depend on Medicaid, and roughly 20% of families rely on SNAP. Yet Jay Obernolte voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — the largest Medicaid cut in the program’s 60-year history at $900+ billion, including the most severe SNAP cuts on record. He didn’t just vote for it; he called it a “generational opportunity.” In a working-class district where the median income is just $77,000, his betrayal is a direct hit on those who can least afford it.

In Congress, I will vote against any budget that cuts Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid benefits, eligibility, or provider reimbursements that keep rural hospitals open. I’ll fight to roll back the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP from the OBBBA, and I’ll fight to lower drug prices through direct Medicare negotiation.

I’ll also use the seat itself to push for change and hold our government to account. This includes committee testimony, floor speeches, and public hearings in the district. It’s vital to express the human cost of these cuts on the record.

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4. Veterans’ Services

Many veterans live throughout the Morongo Basin, yet veterans here have lost their local VA representative and must drive over an hour for help. What will you do to restore in-person VA services and fully staff the Veterans Crisis Line in our district?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: This is a topic that hit close to home as my grandfather, father, and two of my uncles are veterans, and I have two cousins who are active duty. Too many politicians like to pay lip service to veterans, but their votes in Congress speak for themselves. In Congress I would fight to ensure that the VA is properly funded and staffed. Recruitment and retention within the VA system needs to be improved to ensure veterans have access to the care they need.

This will be especially important in the coming years as the current administration has cut the VA workforce by huge amounts. A recent ProPublica report found that the VA had lost approximately 500 psychologists and psychiatrists, and about 700 social workers. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker myself I can tell you that these social workers were crucial to supporting veterans in connecting to local services, finding and connecting to supports, providing direct mental health services, running groups, planning medical discharges and aftercare, navigating crises, etc. Additionally, 90% of VA facilities are reporting severe shortages of doctors and 80% are reporting a severe shortage of nurses. Is this how we treat those who served our country?

At the federal level we must also expand mobile VA clinics and increase the VA’s partnerships with local healthcare providers, especially in rural areas. Simplifying access to services should also be a priority to reduce the barriers veterans face when trying to access the support they need.

Pat Wallis: As a disabled veteran who hurt my back in a training accident, this is personal. We are being failed twice—once by the bureaucracy, and again by the representative who’s supposed to fight for them. With over 41,000 veterans in CA-23, roughly double the national concentration, not having a dedicated veteran’s representative and forcing veterans to drive over an hour for help is unconscionable.

The 2024 Inland Empire State of Veterans Report called accessing benefits in our region “taxing if not intimidating.” That was before DOGE tried to fire 83,000 VA employees, totaling 17% of the workforce serving our veterans. Using flawed AI tools, they tried to gut cancer programs, burial services, and the contracts implementing the PACT Act before public outrage forced them to scale back. Still, almost 600 contracts were canceled. Throughout the entire DOGE debacle, Obernolte was a consistent cheerleader of the same reckless cuts that I will fight to reverse.

Specifically, I will fight to rebuild VA staffing and infrastructure, for in-person VA representation in the Morongo Basin, and to fully staff the Veterans Crisis Line in our district. While we’ve gained presumptive coverage for burn pit and Agent Orange exposures, it means nothing if there isn’t anyone left at the VA to process the claims or deliver the care. Another problem in the Morongo Basin is access to care. While the VA’s “Community Care Network” carve-outs may work in urban areas, we’re already in a healthcare ‘desert.’ So, rather than pointing our veterans towards privatized care that doesn’t exist in our rural communities, I will fight for VA facilities closer to where our veterans live.

I’ll also push for integrated wrap-around care. Right now, if a veteran walks in for PTSD treatment, other needs go ignored. We need a system that screens simultaneously for housing, employment, and other health needs and connects veterans without requiring them to navigate a labyrinth of agencies.

And here in CA-23, I’ll work with veteran service organizations to host an annual veterans’ assistance event at different sites in the district, where veterans can navigate benefits, claims, and care without doing it alone.

5. Healthcare & Food Access

Parts of the Morongo Basin are a food desert, and our region ranks among the lowest in California for health outcomes. Many residents rely on SNAP food benefits and need better access to mental health care. How will you protect these programs and improve healthcare access for rural communities to ensure food security?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: As a Licensed Clinician Social Worker I’ve spent my career serving our rural and underserved communities. I’ve worked in community based mental health, school based mental health, and in medical social work in our hospitals and I know the challenges families in our areas face when it comes to both food and mental health. When I first decided to run for Congress in February 2025 I was working for SAC Health, a non profit that provides medical and mental health care in rural and underserved areas. I was hired for their Barstow office, and I was the first clinician hired after they had been attempting to fill the spot for a year. They were unable to find anyone who lived local to Barstow, or who was willing to make the drive. This is the same issue most rural communities, including the Morongo Basin face. A manageable client load for a mental health provider to ensure quality client care is approximately 20-30 (there’s quite a bit of paperwork on the back end to account for outside of client sessions). In community based mental health I had a client load of anywhere from 40-70.

In private practice my client load is lower, but all of the paperwork on the backend is done on unpaid time. The system is set up for provider burnout, not just for mental health providers, but for nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers as well. In an already underserved area, provider burnout is just one more factor leading to poor access in our rural communities. So how do we address this?

1. Rural healthcare is increasingly becoming its own speciality. At the federal level increase funding to medical schools like Loma Linda to expand training opportunities into rural communities. This includes lifting the federal funding cap on residency slots.

2. Create programs beginning in middle and high school and expanding to community colleges to create a pipeline into the medical profession, especially focused on rural and underserved areas. Recruiting people to fill positions in their home communities increases long term buy-in and the likelihood they will stay in their communities past mandatory pay back timelines.

I want to reiterate that I am a strong proponent of a single payer healthcare system like Medicare for all. The United States is in a healthcare crisis and we are quite literally on the verge of healthcare collapse. We must take forceful action to ensure our healthcare system doesn’t just remain in palace, but is improved for all of us.

In Congress I will never vote for a bill that cuts SNAP benefits. Many in our rural communities rely on these benefits including veterans. Again, we are all one bad day away from needing these social security nets.

Pat Wallis: Rural communities like the Morongo Basin face a compounding problem: fewer providers, longer distances, lower incomes, and worse health outcomes — and recent federal cuts are making all of it worse. Almost 20% of district families rely on SNAP. Almost half are on Medicaid. For the people of our district, access to food and healthcare aren’t separate issues.

I will fight to reverse the OBBBA’s SNAP cuts, which are projected to strip CalFresh benefits from almost 400,000 Californians. SNAP is one of the most effective anti-hunger programs we have. Obernolte calls it fiscal responsibility, but cutting it in a food desert is just callous, it’s irresponsible.

Real food security requires planning, and as part of the planned district-wide economic development plan, I support investment in local food economies — regional processing, cold storage, and farm-to-table distribution — so producers aren’t shipping food hundreds of miles only to ship it back.

On healthcare, I support Medicare for All. In the US, we pay ~$14,000 per person for healthcare. In other developed democracies, the totals are half that. To justify these outrageous costs, we’re told we’re getting the best healthcare in the world. If that’s so, why is our average lifespan just 79 years compared to the 83 years in these other countries?

I know firsthand the peace of mind that comes with knowing I will always receive the medical care I need from the Veterans Administration. Every American should have the same access to affordable healthcare that I do.

My other priority is keeping rural hospitals open. They’re already operating at a deficit, and the Medicaid cuts will accelerate closures. I’ll push for federal stabilization funding for rural hospitals and for protected reimbursement rates so providers can continue serving patients here.

As we know, access to healthcare is often an infrastructure problem out here. We hear of telehealth as the rural answer, but that only works if we have reliable broadband and cellular coverage. We are all aware that getting to and from a physical clinic can mean driving on unpaved roads in poor condition. I’ll fight for federal investment in rural broadband, cellular buildout, and road infrastructure as the actual prerequisites for healthcare access here. Without that backbone, every other healthcare promise is just words.

6. Climate & Extreme Weather

The Morongo Basin has seen severe flash floods that damaged homes and roads in recent years. What will you do to help desert communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: First and foremost, protecting our environment and addressing climate change has to be a priority. Investing in new green technologies, shifting away from fossil fuels, and going after corporate polluters will be a priority for me in Congress. Change is hard, and it can be uncomfortable, but we must adapt and embrace new technologies that lessen carbon emissions and truly create energy independence.

To address the immediate need of the severe flash floods in the Morongo Basin the federal government needs to treat disaster preparedness as the priority it should be. I’ve spoken with those who work in the disaster preparedness space and the general consensus is that research is funded, reports are submitted, and the reports with recommendations go into a filing cabinet never to be seen again.

We must start listening to our experts and following the recommendations to avoid loss of life and damage to property. Investing in infrastructure to improve drainage and reinforce vulnerable roads, and having responsible land management can help reduce the impact of extreme weather.

Pat Wallis: Our desert communities face wildfire, high winds and wind damage, earthquakes, and flooding. But our infrastructure and insurance systems weren’t built for any of it at the intensity we’ve seen over recent years.

On preparation, I support significant federal investment in pre-disaster mitigation across all these threats. This includes hardened infrastructure, improved flood control and drainage, defensible space programs, seismic retrofits, wind-resistant building standards, and home hardening grants for the highest-risk properties.

No surprise here, but it’s way cheaper to harden and prepare a home than to rebuild one. The January 2025 LA fires caused tens of billions in damage. The cost of hardening those 13,000 homes would have been a fraction of that. The same logic applies to all the hazards we face in the basin, including flood, wind, and seismic mitigation.

It’s clear the private market is breaking down across CA-23. Personally, my insurer of choice, USAA, quit covering homes in California. My homeowner’s insurance has more than tripled since 2020. Insurers are pulling out, premiums are exploding, and families are being forced from homes they’ve held for generations.

I support a public option for catastrophic disaster coverage backed by a federal reinsurance backstop, with premiums capped so working families and seniors aren’t priced out. Under this proposal, routine home coverage would stay in the private market while catastrophic regional risk would be shared.

During recovery, FEMA and SBA disaster assistance must reach our rural communities. I’ll push for streamlined disaster declarations, faster individual assistance, and federal support for the nonprofits and mutual-aid networks that are usually first on the ground here. Another topic is demanding transparency in insurance risk modeling so homeowners and communities that invest in mitigation see savings on their premiums.

7. Renewable Energy & the Desert Environment

Large-scale solar projects are proposed on desert land near throughout the Morongo Basin. Residents are concerned about grading, dust, and harm to wildlife like the newly endangered Mojave desert tortoise, in addition to the loss of value of their homes. How do you balance the need for renewable energy with protecting desert ecosystems and local communities?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: Too often we have seen large scale projects pushed onto rural communities despite the objections of the residents. The people who live in the Morongo Basin deserve to be heard and respected in these processes. As a born and raised resident of the 23rd who spent the majority of my childhood in the rural community of Phelan, I know why we love our big open desert. The night sky, the quiet, the staring out and being able to see for miles, the seemingly inhospitable desert that we know is full of life. That life, the life of the Mojave Desert Tortoise, the jackrabbits, coyotes, chuckwallas, and so many others deserves to be protected. Protecting them means balancing the need for renewable energy with the need for protecting their habitat.

I support prioritizing renewable energy projects on land that has already been developed or is going to be developed, such as on roof tops, parking structures, or abandoned and idled commercial properties. Additionally, such projects should come with community benefit agreements to ensure that the community is benefitting from these projects. Community benefit agreements would ensure local hiring, investment in infrastructure, and increased protections for homeowners, residents, and small businesses.

Pat Wallis: While I support the transition to clean energy, I will never support turning the Morongo Basin into a sacrifice zone to power someone else’s city.

Renewable projects that fragment the habitats of endangered species, generate dust storms, drain aquifers, and reduce nearby property values aren’t the climate solutions any of us want here. Proposals like this just cost-shift from the urban elite onto rural communities just trying to survive. Moreover, they generate backlash that just delays the broader clean-energy transition we all want.

Any large-scale solar project on desert land must be properly sited, community-informed, and environmentally responsible. It must consider the project’s cumulative environmental impact. This means real local consultation with community representatives. And it means maintaining a preference for using sites on already-disturbed land, like on rooftops, parking lots, brownfields, and degraded sites.

But there’s also a smarter path, one that I’ve personally been researching in my professional work for two decades. Buildings and transportation account for roughly 60% of global carbon emissions. Energy efficiency, passive energy design in buildings, building electrification, and distributed solar on existing structures deliver enormous emission reductions without razing a single acre. It’s our duty to exhaust these paths before sacrificing our desert ecosystems and the home values of the families living here.

8. Public Lands

A Senate budget bill proposes auctioning tens of thousands of acres of BLM public land in and around the Morongo Basin and hi-desert. Public lands are vital to our economy, environment, and way of life. Do you support or oppose these sales, and why?

Tessa Lynn Hodge: I do not support the sale of large amounts of BLM public land in the Morongo Basin and High Desert. Especially when it is done hastily and without the input of local communities. Our desert ecosystem is fragile and is worth protecting, and in our desert environment water conservation must always be a priority.

Selling tens of thousands of acres of BLM land in and around the Morongo Basin could be catastrophic for local water sources which have already experienced overdraft. As climate change continues to become more severe, we are seeing conflicts and disputes over water in many parts of the world, including here in the US. Selling off protected land for development in a water scarce area is not responsible governing.

Pat Wallis: I oppose the proposed sales of BLM public lands in and around the Morongo Basin. However, the auction proposal is just the visible piece of a much larger problem that can’t be understood before we understand where we live.

Roughly 65% of the geographic area of CA-23 is public land — National Park, U.S. Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife, and BLM. That’s not incidental to the 23rd District. It is our district. Over the last 15 years, the budgets for the agencies that manage those lands have been cut by up to 70%. Guess what? The current administration is proposing to slash what remains by another half. That’s problematic for us. The consequences are everywhere we look. We’re seeing more wildfires, and our homeowner’s insurance costs are skyrocketing. On top of that, we’re seeing the abuse of the BLM permitting process and visible degradation of service across the board.

This malign neglect only benefits the deep-pocketed donors who’d like to turn our communities into extraction sites for more solar farms, mining pits, and industrial yards. I’ve been to Keys Ranch in the National Park, and I’ll pass on doing that to the rest of our desert. Selling this land, which is our birthright, is the next step in the same project.

Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding BLM lands are the engine that drives our local economies. The case for keeping these lands public is obvious. There’s no way to replace that with a one-time auction payment.

On top of that, the excuse for these proposed sales as a housing-affordability fix is a sham. We absolutely do not have a land shortage. If anything, we have a glut of hedge funds, speculators, and short-term rental operators converting existing homes into investment properties.

As your US Representative, I’ll vote against any bill or reconciliation language authorizing these sales. Further, I’ll fight to restore full funding for the agencies that manage our public lands and to require genuine local consent for any BLM disposal in CA-23.

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Note: This is an update of an article originally written for the 2022 and 2024 elections and the current installment in “Running for Council,” demystifying the process of running for City Council and Town Council. Council seats in Districts 3, 4, and 5 are up for election in November 2026 in Twentynine Palms, and Districts 1, 3, and 5 are up for election in Yucca Valley. Specific deadlines are not yet posted — we will update this article once they are.

Other articles in the series:
ON RUNNING FOR COUNCIL: STEVEN BILDERAIN (2022)
ON RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL: Octavious Scott (2024)

Thinking of running for City Council in Twentynine Palms or Town Council in Yucca Valley? Getting ready to knock on doors, hang out at the farmer’s market, speak to service clubs and work on your Facebook page and Instagram account? In addition to the public aspects of campaigning for office, there is a series of documents that all candidates are required to file with the City Clerk. In the interest of encouraging everyday citizens to run for office, we’re offering potential candidates a heads-up on what to expect.

Multiple candidates running for City Council and Town Council are a sign of engaged communities in a vibrant democracy. However, citizen engagement took a back seat in the Morongo Basin in 2022 when in Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley, six incumbents ran for office and five of them ran unopposed. The only incumbent facing opposition lost.

In 2024, competitive races returned to Twentynine Palms, with contested elections in both Districts 1 and 2. In Yucca Valley, incumbents Jeff Drozd (District 2) and Robert Lombardo (District 4) both ran unopposed. Elections are YOUR chance to take an active role in the future of your city and town.

Twentynine Palms

In Twentynine Palms, there are three Council seats on the ballot and three Planning Commission seats appointed after the election, constituting majorities in both bodies. The districts up for election in 2026 are 3, 4, and 5. District 3 is held by Mayor Daniel Mintz, who has served on the Council since 2010 and is now in his fourth term. District 5 is held by McArthur Wright, who has served since 2014. Both Mintz and Wright ran unopposed in 2022.

District 4 is held by Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott, who first won his seat in 2022 by unseating incumbent Mayor Karmolette O'Gilvie by just eight votes — the only competitive race in these three districts in recent memory, and a vivid reminder that every vote counts. No formal re-election announcements have been made by any of the three sitting councilmembers.

Thinking about running? As of March 30, District 3 has 1,867 registered voters, District 4 has 1,704, and District 5 has 1,491 — these are the residents you'll need to reach to be successful. District boundaries were updated in 2022, so be sure to double check your district. You may want to use this tool to look up your district.

Yucca Valley

In Yucca Valley, there are three Council seats on the ballot and three Planning Commission seats appointed after the election. Similar to Twentynine Palms, these seats constitute the majority. The districts up for election in 2026 are 1, 3, and 5. District 1 is currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Jim Schooler, who was first elected in 2018 when Yucca Valley adopted its district-based election system. District 3 is held by Mayor Merl Abel and District 5 is held by Rick Denison, both of whom have served since 2014 — before the town was divided into districts.

None of these three seats has faced a challenger since the district system was adopted in 2018. The last time voters had a competitive choice in what are now Districts 3 and 5 was 2014, when nine candidates ran in a town-wide at-large race. As of March 30, District 1 has 2,540 registered voters, District 3 has 2,790, and District 5 has 2,631 — these are the residents you'll need to reach to win.

You may want to use this tool to look up which which district you reside in. Let’s hope 2026 will see democracy at work with competitive races in Yucca Valley in 2026.

Forms and Dates

Keep in mind that this is a general guide only. We highly recommend contacting your City or Town Clerk for an appointment if you are planning to run. The Clerk will provide you with the documents for 2026 and make the time to review the requirements with you.

• Twentynine Palms: Cindy Villescas, (760) 367-6799, cvillescas@29palms.org

• Yucca Valley: Brooke Dudra1, (760) 369-7209, townclerk@yucca-valley.org

Basics to know before you run:

Your first question might be “Who’s eligible?” To run for Council you must meet the following requirements:

• Citizen of the United States

• Registered voter and resident of Twentynine Palms or Yucca Valley

• 18 years or older

• Resident of the district in which you plan to run

In Twentynine Palms, City Council members will be paid $700 per month once newly elected Councilmembers are seated in December. In Yucca Valley, Town Council members are paid $950 per month. Council members also have the option of participating in the City and Town benefit packages. Regular meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month in Twentynine Palms; in Yucca Valley the Town Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Additional meetings may be held as needed. The term of office for both Councils is four years.

Required Candidacy Materials

• Declaration of Candidacy The required form on which the candidate declares what office they are running for, how their name appears on the ballot, and whether or not they want a short three-word description to follow their name.

• Nomination Papers Nomination period dates have not yet been posted by the City of Twentynine Palms or the Town of Yucca Valley. Watch for an update here, and contact your City or Town Clerk directly for the latest information. Candidates need to collect at least 20 to 30 signatures of registered voters residing in the district in which they are running to support their candidacy. These signatures must be collected using forms supplied to the candidate by the City or Town Clerk. Once turned in, the signatures are compared with voter registration lists to determine validity. It is likely that some of the collected signatures will be deemed invalid. Some people think they’ve registered to vote, but haven’t, others have moved and failed to update their address, and in some cases, signatures simply don’t match. Therefore, it’s always best to collect more than the minimum number of signatures required.

• Candidate Intention Statement (Form 501, Fair Political Practices Commission, FPPC) Outlines rules for soliciting and receiving donations and for expending personal funds in support of your candidacy. Required to be filed prior to soliciting any contributions or spending any funds.

• Statement of Economic Interest (FPPC Form 700) Generally, candidates are required to declare investments, interests in real property, and business positions held on the date of filing the declaration of candidacy. In addition, certain types of income received in the year prior to filing the declaration of candidacy must be reported. This declaration of personal financial interests is necessary to ensure candidates are acting in the public’s interest and not their own. Going through this process also serves as a reminder of potential conflicts of interest. The City or Town Clerk will review the exact reporting requirements with you.

• Candidate Statement Form and Candidate Statement This is the written statement supplied by the candidate that is printed in the Voter Information Guide and the form that accompanies it. Candidate statements for local office are 200 words or fewer and must follow strict content guidelines. Statements are limited to the candidate’s own background, qualifications, and platform. The candidate is prohibited from mentioning other candidates in their statement. Candidates are required to cover the costs of printing and translating their statement, usually around $150. Candidate statements are optional.

Overall, City and Town Council candidates can expect to pay approximately $200 to $400 in filing fees and associated costs. This is in addition to expenditures on materials promoting their candidacy.

If you do decide to run, be sure to contact editor@deserttrumpet.org so we can interview you and include you in our candidate forum — watch this space for the date!

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It’s that time again—election season. The California Primary is fast approaching. Here is the timeline:

• May 4: County election officials will be mailing ballots to registered voters for the June Primary

• May 18: The last day to register to vote

• June 2: Primary Election; Californians will decide the top contenders for Governor, Congress, State Assembly, and a handful of other elected offices. The June primary will determine which top two governor and congressional candidates will proceed to the November general election.

• November 3: General Election; the top two candidates from the primary races will face off and Californians will get to cast their votes for governor, Congress, and local elected offices such as city council, school board, and water district.

Typically, voter turnout during non-presidential elections is lower than usual. In 2024, despite it being a presidential election, voter turnout was unexpectedly low. For the first time in many election cycles, San Bernardino County formally flipped from blue to red with Republican Donald Trump winning over the majority of county voters against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Many voters cited rising costs and the economy as their reasons for supporting Republican candidates.

Now, two years into Trump’s second presidential term, with gas prices higher than average, continued inflationary concerns, and military conflicts in the Middle East between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, some are experiencing voter’s remorse.

Currently, Republicans hold 53 seats in the U.S. Senate with Democrats holding 47 seats. In the House of Representatives, Republicans hold a slim 217 seat majority, with Democrats occupying 214 seats out of the 435 with three vacancies.

Preliminary elections in historically Republican states such as Texas have shown both parties will have highly competitive races as November approaches. Citing the Republican presidential administration’s poor track record involving human rights violations with ICE, mass deportations among immigrant communities, war in the Middle East, and continued economic woes, many Democratic contenders are hoping—and banking—on this year’s midterm elections to flip some districts.

State of California

Gubernatorial Race

The State of California has a two-term limit on governors. Gavin Newsom will term out in 2027, making 2026 a contentious election for leader of the world’s fifth largest economy. Per a March 23rd poll conducted by Evitarus, the top two emerging front runners are both members of the California Republican Party— Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. The last Republican to be elected governor of California was Arnold Schwarzenegger who served from 2003 to 2011.

Given the state’s top-two primary system, meaning the top two candidates in the primary will advance to a run off race in the general election regardless of party affiliation, this means that California voters could be left with two Republican candidate options for the November ticket.

One name in particular has sparked more headlines—and controversy— than others. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his candidacy for the Republican ticket in early 2025. Bianco made headlines in March 2026 when, using his role as Sheriff of Riverside County, he seized approximately 650,000 ballots as part of an investigation into what he alleged was voter fraud regarding California’s Proposition 50 election, which was a successful redistricting measure proposed by the California Democratic Party that sought to offset Republican gerrymandering in Texas. Prop 50 passed in November 2025 by nearly two-to-one margins, winning over 64% of voters.

As for Democratic candidates, the California Secretary of State website lists 24 individuals seeking the governor’s position with no sign of backing down despite calls from Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks for candidates to drop or risk forfeiting the November ticket to two Republicans.

Out of those, recent polling shows three candidates are emerging frontrunners for the Democratic ticket— Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter, and Tom Steyer. The question remains if the California Democratic Party can rally behind a single candidate in time for the June primary.

House of Representatives— Prop 50 Divides the Morongo Basin

Following publication of U.S. Census results, most states redraw their election districts every ten years. In California, this decade-long map process is conducted via an independent redistricting commission. In response to mid-decade redistricting efforts in Texas, California’s Prop 50, known as the “Election Rigging Response Act,” passed in November 2025. Prop 50 temporarily suspended that tradition, triggering a mid-decade redraw of California’s Congressional maps.

Prior to Prop 50’s passage, the Morongo Basin fell under Congressional District 23, currently represented by Congressman Jay Obernolte. Prop 50’s new map redraws local Congressional districts for the 2027 session and splits the Morongo Basin between District 23 and 25, meaning Obernolte will not be on the upcoming ballot for the majority of Twentynine Palms or Wonder Valley residents.

Areas east of Joshua Tree, including Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley, now fall under District 25 which is currently represented by Congressman Raul Ruiz. Residents in Desert Heights and Joshua Tree still fall within District 23 under Obernolte.

Candidates vying for District 23 include Republican incumbent Jay Obernolte, of Big Bear, and three Democratic candidates— Tessa Lynn Hodge of Apple Valley, Karsten Nicholson of Crestline, and Pat Wallis of Yucca Valley. One independent candidate is also running in District 23— Dr. Karen Leigh Matthews of Loma Linda.

District 25 candidates include Democrat incumbent, Dr. Raul Ruiz of Coachella, and three Republicans— Ceci Truman of Menifee, Ronald Huffman of Beaumont, and Joe Males of Hemet.

State Assembly District 34

Assembly District 34 is currently represented by Republican Tom Lackey. AD34 covers Twentynine Palms, portions of Big Bear Lake, Johnson Valley, Lucerne Valley, Barstow, and part of Lancaster. A current map of AD34 is available here.

Vying for Assembly District 34 is Republican Charles Hughes of Antelope Valley and Democrat Randall Putz of Big Bear Lake.

State Assembly District 47

A current map of California Assembly District 47 is linked here, which covers large portions of the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley.

Running against Republican and incumbent Greg Wallis in Assembly District 47 is Democrat Leila Namvar of La Quinta, and Democrat Jason Byors of Palm Springs.

Previous Desert Trumpet coverage of Assembly Districts 34 and 47 is linked here.

Morongo Basin Elections

Twentynine Palms City Council

The City of Twentynine Palms will have three City Council seats up for election in November—Districts 3, 4, and 5. District 3 is currently represented by Mayor Daniel Mintz, District 4 is represented by Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott, and District 5 is represented by McArthur Wright. Councilmembers serve four-year terms and meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. The City has yet to post this year’s election information.

Yucca Valley Town Council

Yucca Valley Town Council will have three seats featured on the November ballot. Those are Districts 1, 3, and 5. District 1 is currently represented by Mayor Pro Tem Jim Schooler, District 3 represented by Mayor Merl Abel, and District 5 is represented by Rick Denison. Members of the YVTC meet every first and third Tuesday of the month at 5 pm. A district map of Yucca Valley is available here. In 2024 Jeff Drozd and Robert Lombardo ran unopposed.

School Boards

Morongo Basin Unified School District Board of Education

Three seats out of five will be represented on the November ballot, with terms set to expire in December 2026 in Trustee Areas 1, 4, and 5.

Trustee Area 1 is currently represented by Missy Bond, who was appointed to District 1 in June 2025 following the resignation of Board of Trustee member Karalee Hargrove. Area 1 generally covers Twentynine Palms. Trustee Area 4, which represents the areas of Yucca Valley east of Kickapoo Trail and west of La Contenta, is represented by Board President Christopher Claire. Area 5, which covers Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Desert Heights, and areas east of Airway Drive and as north as Giant Rock Road, is represented by Board Clerk Roberta Myers.

A district look-up tool is available here to see which Trustee Area you live in.

Copper Mountain College

At Copper Mountain College, Areas 4 and 5 have terms set to expire in 2026. Representatives on the 5-member Board of Trustees serve two-year terms. Area 4 is currently represented by Chuck Uyeda and Area 5 is represented by Anna Stump.

Local Water Districts

Joshua Basin Water District

At the Joshua Basin Water District, two of five divisions will be on the November ballot— Division 1 is currently represented by Tyler Short, and David Fick, Director of JBWD is representative of Division 2 with both terms set to expire in 2026. A map of JBWD is available here, and a link on “How To Become A Board Member” with pertinent Registrar of Voter information can be found on the JBWD website.

Twentynine Palms Water District

Three members of the Twentynine Palms Water District have terms expiring in December 2026—President Bob Coghill Jr., Vice President Randy Leazer, and Director Amy Woods. These are open seats, which means TPWD board members are not divided by area with the only requirement to run being residency within the district lines. Board members meet every 4th Wednesday of the month. A map of TPWD is available here, with pertinent election information available here.

Hi-Desert Water District

Three of five Board of Director seats will be up for election at the Hi-Desert Water District—District 1, currently represented by President Sue Tsuda, District 3, represented by Roger Mayes, and District 5, represented by Sheldon Hough. The district transitioned from open seats to districts in 2022—a district map is available here.

San Bernardino County Supervisor

The 5-member County Board of Supervisors will have two seats up for election this cycle. District 2, currently represented by Republican Jesse Armendarez III of Fontana, and District 4, represented by Republican Curtis Hagman of Chino Hills, will be featured on November ballots. Running against Armendarez is Democrat Jesus “Jesse” Sandoval, Fontana City Councilmember, and running against Hagman is Democrat Christina Gagnier. District 3, which covers the Morongo Basin, is currently represented by Dawn Rowe.

The Desert Trumpet has enough funds to operate through June. We need your paid subscriptions to publish the coverage you depend on.

Subscribe now

Become a sustaining subscriber by increasing your subscription to $100 or more per year! Want to make a one-time donation or are you able to give more than $100? Donate via Paypal!

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Please note that we do not allow anonymous comments. Please be sure your first and last name is on your profile prior to commenting. Anonymous comments will be deleted.

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