Luis Hernandez, one of three Riverside City Council candidates running for Ward 6, last week declared victory as unofficial election results showed he had secured the necessary votes to win the seat outright.
“I am grateful that the residents have chosen me to be their voice at city hall,” Hernandez said in a statement shared with The Riverside Record. “I believe that every Riverside resident deserves a seat at the table, and I promise to work hard every day to make our city government more transparent, equitable, responsive and inclusive.”
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Hernandez, a disability services specialist and city commissioner on the Board of Ethics, is set to replace longtime Ward 6 councilmember Jim Perry who announced his retirement last year.
Earlier this month, Perry said he would step down from his role by July to pursue a new opportunity, believing at the time the race would go to a runoff. In order to avoid a November runoff, candidates needed to secure 50% of the vote.
Initial returns posted by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV) showed Hernandez had received 46% of the vote. Over the coming days, as ballots continued to be counted, Hernandez’s lead continued to increase. Eight days after the election, and just hours after Perry announced his plans to leave office early, Hernandez cleared the 50% threshold.
In subsequent updates, Hernandez has maintained about 50.36% of the votes and would replace Perry without creating a vacancy once the results are certified.
“Congratulations to Mr. Hernandez in reaching the 50+% mark on the election,” Norma Berrellez, a Ward 6 candidate and Alvord Unified trustee, said in an email to The Record. “Looking forward to working with Luis on projects for our students in Alvord Unified School District.”
Oz Puerta, who also ran for the open seat, said in a statement to The Record he acknowledged Hernandez seemingly had reached the threshold to win the election outright.
“If that remains the case, I want to sincerely congratulate him and wish him success,” Puerta said. “The challenges facing our community are bigger than any one campaign, and I hope he is successful in addressing them on behalf of our residents.
He added he was thankful for the residents who supported his campaign and would continue to work to support the community.
Throughout the campaign, Hernandez said he would focus on supporting small businesses, strengthening youth programs and ensuring city services were accessible and responsive to the city’s residents.
He also focused on tackling homelessness in Ward 6. In a previous interview with The Record, he said he would look to partnering with nonprofit organizations, creating adaptive reuse housing projects and providing wrap-around services.
The council is set to hold a special meeting July 7 to swear in Hernandez. The ROV has until July 2 to certify the results.
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