Mayoral elections in Riverside, California

Elections are held in Riverside, California to elect the city's mayor. Currently, such elections are nonpartisan and are regularly scheduled to elect mayors to four-year terms.

Elections before 1997

1997

Riverside, California mayoral election, 1997

← 1993November 4, 1997[1]2001 →
 
CandidateRonald O. LoveridgeTerry Frizzel
Popular vote14,3315,680
Percentage56.80%22.51%

Mayor before election

Ronald O. Loveridge

Elected Mayor

Ronald O. Loveridge

The 1997 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on November 4, 1997, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the reelection of Ronald O. Loveridge.

Candidates

  • Terry Frizzel, businesswoman and former mayor of Riverside (1990–1994)[1][2]
  • Gary R. Supek, quality analyst[1]
  • Ronald O. Loveridge, incumbent mayor and college teacher[1]
  • Steven Portillo Torres, "politicalist", speaker, and collegiate[1]

Results

1997 Riverside mayoral election results[1]
CandidateVotes%
Ron Loveridge (incumbent)14,33156.80
Teresa "Terry" Frizzel5,68022.51
Steven Portillo Torres7062.80
Gary R. Huspek6432.55
Total votes25,229 100

2001

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2001

← 1997November 6, 2001[3]2005 →
 
CandidateRonald O. LoveridgeSam Cardelucci
Popular vote14,5605,625
Percentage55.23%21.34%
 
CandidateLetitia PepperPeter G. Weber
Popular vote4,8431,336
Percentage18.37%5.07%

Mayor before election

Ronald O. Loveridge

Elected Mayor

Ronald O. Loveridge

The 2001 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on November 6, 2001, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the reelection of Ronald O. Loveridge to a third term.

Candidates

  • Sam Cardelucci, owner of National Environmental Waste Co.[2]
  • Ronald O. Loveridge, incumbent mayor and college teacher[3]
  • Letitia Pepper, attorney and teacher[3]
  • Peter G. Weber, manufacturing manager[3]

Results

2001 Riverside mayoral election results[3]
CandidateVotes%
Ron Loveridge (incumbent)14,56055.23
Samuel D. "Sam" Cardelucci5,62521.34
Letitia Pepper4,84318.37
Peter G. Weber1,3365.07
Total votes26,364 100

2005

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2005

← 2001November 8, 2005[4]2009 →
 
CandidateRonald O. LoveridgeTerry Frizzel
Popular vote29,09210,515
Percentage60.14%21.74%
 
CandidateAmeal Moore
Popular vote8,658
Percentage17.90%

Mayor before election

Ronald O. Loveridge

Elected Mayor

Ronald O. Loveridge

The 2005 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on November 8, 2005, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the reelection of Ronald O. Loveridge to a fourth term.

Candidates

  • Terry Frizzel, former mayor of Riverside (1990–1994)[2]
  • Ronald O. Loveridge, incumbent mayor and college teacher
  • Ameal Moore

Results

2005 Riverside mayoral election results[4]
CandidateVotes%
Ron Loveridge (incumbent)29,09260.14
Teresa R. "Terry" Frizzel10,51521.74
Ameal Moore8,65817.91
Write-ins1050.22
Total votes48,370 100

2009

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2009

← 2005November 3, 2009[5]2012 →
Turnout18.97%
 
CandidateRonald O. LoveridgeArt Gage
Popular vote14,3876,421
Percentage67.74%30.23%

Mayor before election

Ronald O. Loveridge

Elected Mayor

Ronald O. Loveridge

The 2009 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on November 3, 2009, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the reelection of Ronald O. Loveridge to a fifth term.

Results

2009 Riverside mayoral election results[5]
CandidateVotes%
Ron Loveridge (incumbent)14,38767.74%
Art Gage6,42130.23%
Total votes21,240 100%
Voter turnout18.97%

2012

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2012

← 2009June 5, 2012 (first round)[6]
November 6, 2012 (runoff)[7]
2016 →
 
CandidateRusty BaileyEd Adkison
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
First-round vote10,1128,345
First-round percentage30.63%25.28%
Second-round vote47,09833,889
Second-round percentage58.16%41.84%

 
CandidateMike GardnerAndy Melendrez
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
First-round vote5,1444,461
First-round percentage15.58%13.51%

Mayor before election

Ronald Loveridge

Elected Mayor

Rusty Bailey

The 2012 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on April 9, 2012, and June 5, 2012, and November 6, 2012, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the election of Rusty Bailey.

Incumbent mayor Ronald Loveridge opted against running for a sixth term.[8]

Results

First round
2012 Riverside mayoral election first round results[6]
CandidateVotes%
Rusty Bailey10,11230.63
Ed Adkison8,34525.28
Mike Gardner5,14415.58
Andy Melendrez4,46113.51
Dvonne M. Pitruzzello1,1383.45
Aurora Chavez1,1223.40
Peter Benavidez6682.02
Total votes33,017 100
Voter turnout27.57%
Runoff
2012 Riverside mayoral election runoff results[7]
CandidateVotes%
Rusty Bailey47,09858.16
Ed Adkison33,88941.84
Total votes80,987 100

2016

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2016

← 2012June 7, 2016[9]2020 →
Turnout44.99%
 
CandidateRusty BaileyPaul Davis
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
Popular vote33,0337,994
Percentage59.42%14.38%

 
CandidateNancy Melendez
PartyNon-partisan
Popular vote5,151
Percentage9.27%

Mayor before election

Rusty Bailey

Elected Mayor

Rusty Bailey

The 2016 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on June 7, 2016, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the reelection of Rusty Bailey.

Because Bailey won a majority in the initial round of the election, no runoff was needed.

Results

2016 Riverside mayoral election results[9]
CandidateVotes%
Rusty Bailey (incumbent)33,03359.42%
Paul Davis7,99414.38%
Nancy Melendez5,1519.27%
Vivian Moreno2,7194.89%
Patrick Benedict "Babatúndé" Small2,2624.07%
Sally Martinez7051.27%
Total votes55,597 100%
Voter turnout44.99%

2020

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2020

← 2016March 5, 2020 (first round)[10]
November 3, 2020 (runoff)[11]
2024 →
 
CandidatePatricia Lock DawsonAndy Melendrez
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
First round19,572
(35.76%)
23,788
(43.47%)
Second round67,779
(58.78%)
47,529
(41.22%)

 
CandidateRich GardnerGuy A. Harrell
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
First round6,530
11.93%
2,910
(5.32%)
Second roundEliminatedEliminated

Mayor before election

Rusty Bailey

Elected Mayor

Patricia Lock Dawson

The 2020 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on March 3, 2020, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. It saw the election of Patricia Lock Dawson.

Results

First round
2020 Riverside mayoral election first round results [10]
CandidateVotes%
Andy Melendrez23,78843.47
Patricia Lock Dawson19,57235.76
Rich Gardner6,53011.93
Guy A. Harrell2,9105.32
Phil Long Tran "JD" Denilofs1,2532.29
Acea D. Stapler6761.24
Total votes54,729 100
Voter turnout38.23%
Runoff
2020 Riverside mayoral election runoff results[11]
CandidateVotes%
Patricia Lock Dawson67,77958.78
Andy Melendrez47,52941.22
Total votes115,308 100

2024

Riverside, California mayoral election, 2024

← 2020March 5, 20242028 →
 
CandidatePatricia Lock DawsonJessica Qattawi
PartyNon-partisanNon-partisan
Popular vote31,8339,176
Percentage77.6%22.3%

Mayor before election

Patricia Lock Dawson

Elected Mayor

Patricia Lock Dawson

The 2024 Riverside, California mayoral election was held on March 3, 2024, to elect the mayor of Riverside, California. Incumbent mayor, Patricia Lock Dawson, secured a second term as mayor.

It was the first Mayoral election since the election of Ronald O. Loveridge's fifth term as mayor in the 2009 Mayoral Election to not only have only two candidates on the ballot.

It was also the first election since 2016 to not progress to a runoff election[12]

Candidates

Results

2024 Riverside mayoral election[14]
CandidateVotes%
Patricia Lock Dawson (incumbent)31,83377.62
Jessica Qattawi9,17622.38
Total votes41,009 100

References