Rivas Qualifies For June City Council Election

According to the city’s website one person has qualified for the June 7 election.

District 5 Incumbent Jess Rivas has collected the necessary paperwork and is now officially a candidate for the election.

According to the city’s website, Rivas qualified on Wednesday.

“I am very excited to earn the support of District 5 residents, who I have had the honor of representing already for the past year,” Rivas told Pasadena Now on Thursday. 

Rivas was appointed to the seat after Mayor Victor Gordo stepped down to become the city’s mayor. 

She has raised $46,334.83 since July on small donations less than $5,000.

Last year Rivas opposed unlimited campaign donations when the City Council discussed the matter. 

So far no other residents from the district have pulled papers to oppose Rivas.

Rivas is endorsed by Mayor Victor Gordo, Assemblymember, and former District 3 City Councilmember Chris Holden, former mayors Rick Cole and Bill Paparian, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), state Senator Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena), school board members Tina Fredericks and Patrick Cahalan and Pasadena City College Trustee Sandra Chen Lau.

This year voters in districts 3, 5 and 7 will go to the polls to decide who will represent their neighborhoods in those districts.

Candidates must receive more than 50 percent of the vote to win.

Although Rivas is the first candidate to qualify for the race. She certainly won’t be the last.

In District 3, Incumbent John Kennedy and Commissioner Brandon Lamar have both pulled papers. Lamar, the challenger, is walking the district.

Kennedy has been a juggernaut when it comes to fundraising.

The most interesting contest could come out of District 7 where city commissioners Jason Lyon, Allen Shay and Ciran Hadjian are all running for the soon-to-be vacant seat currently held by Vice Mayor Andy Wilson. 

If all three qualify for the contest, this is the only race so far that could go to a run off election in November unless more candidates pull papers in the other two races.