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City of Beaumont · Statewide General Election

Beaumont City Council

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds one of three at-large seats up this cycle on Beaumont's 5-member City Council: the city budget, zoning and land-use rules, and municipal ordinances. A 4-year term. The council doesn't elect its mayor directly -- members rotate the largely ceremonial Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem titles among themselves each year, for up to two consecutive one-year terms; day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager.

Six candidates are running for Beaumont's three at-large City Council seats: incumbents Lloyd White, Jessica Voigt and Mike Lara, against challengers Joseph Mathews, Jim Mercado and Carlos Cueva. Vote for up to three — no primary, no runoff.

Council seats carry 4-year terms. The five-member council sets the city budget, zoning and land-use rules, and municipal ordinances; day-to-day operations run through an appointed city manager. The council doesn't elect a mayor directly — members rotate the largely ceremonial Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem titles among themselves each year, for up to two consecutive one-year terms.

All three incumbents are seeking re-election together, so the practical choice in a three-seat field of six is whether any of the three challengers should replace a sitting member rather than which incumbent to keep. The candidate-information chart and city document filenames list one challenger as "James Mercado," but his own filed paperwork and campaign site consistently use "Jim Mercado" — this page follows his own spelling.

Lloyd White

The incumbent, currently serving on the council and running under the ballot designation "Beaumont Councilmember/Businessman." In his filed Candidate's Statement he cites turning an $11 million budget deficit into strong financial reserves, cutting Community Facilities District taxes by nearly $4 million for about 12,000 homeowners, and nearly tripling the city's sales-tax revenue. He also points to Beaumont's first street-maintenance program, opening Fire Station 106, and over a decade representing Beaumont on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, including as its Chair.

Strengths

A specific, numbers-based record on the budget turnaround and tax cuts, plus a decade-plus regional transportation role.

Trade-offs

The statement is entirely about accomplishments; it names general priorities (traffic, public safety, infrastructure, fiscal stability) going forward without new specifics.

Keep in mind

All three incumbents, including White, are running together rather than against each other — the real choice in this field is whether one of the three challengers should replace one of them.

Jessica Voigt

The incumbent, currently serving as Mayor (sworn in by the council's annual rotation on Dec. 3, 2025) and running under the ballot designation "Mayor/Registered Nurse." She is a Registered Nurse (California license #731749) at Desert Regional Medical Center since 2008. Her filed Candidate's Statement cites four years on the council, being married 22 years to a firefighter, and priorities of public safety, local businesses and jobs, traffic and infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and "Beaumont's family-centered quality of life."

Strengths

A healthcare career alongside four years on the council, including the council's rotating Mayor post this cycle.

Trade-offs

Her statement's priorities are broad and shared with her running mates; it doesn't single out a policy area where her nursing background would change a council vote.

Keep in mind

All three incumbents, including Voigt, are running together rather than against each other — the real choice in this field is whether one of the three challengers should replace one of them.

Mike Lara

The incumbent, running under the ballot designation "Incumbent." His filed Candidate's Statement describes 12 years on the Beaumont City Council and a 35-year public-service career with the County of Riverside. He cites working to "stop the corruption that once damaged public trust," balancing the city's budget, hiring 42 additional police officers, rehabilitating more than 65% of Beaumont's streets, and opening a new fire station.

Strengths

The longest council tenure in this field — 12 years — plus a 35-year public-sector career in county government.

Trade-offs

A long incumbency is itself a trade-off for voters weighing a fresh council voice, and his safety and infrastructure figures aren't independently verified beyond what he reports.

Keep in mind

All three incumbents, including Lara, are running together rather than against each other — the real choice in this field is whether one of the three challengers should replace one of them.

Joseph Mathews

A challenger running under the ballot designation "Youth Commission Coordinator," his job with Riverside County since 2023. He describes himself in his filed Candidate's Statement as a U.S. Navy veteran and Chair of the Beaumont Economic Development Committee. His priorities: attracting quality jobs, responsible growth, public safety, and "transparent government, fiscal responsibility, and making decisions that put residents first."

Strengths

Military service plus a current county youth-programs job and an unpaid city economic-development committee chairmanship — direct exposure to Beaumont's civic institutions without having held office.

Trade-offs

No elected or appointed government experience, and his statement's priorities (jobs, growth, safety, transparency) are stated in general terms without a specific plan.

Keep in mind

He's one of three challengers running against three incumbents who are not opposing each other — the real choice is which, if any, challenger should unseat a sitting member.

Jim Mercado

A challenger running under the ballot designation "Retired Retail Sales." His filed Candidate's Statement says he moved to Beaumont eight years ago and, guided by his Mexican heritage and Catholic faith, founded an outreach ministry welcoming new members into the church. His platform centers on managing Beaumont's rapid growth: roads, water and schools keeping pace with development, developers "giving back" through local jobs and community benefits, a downtown Beaumont "residents can be proud of," and residents "heard before the vote, not after."

Strengths

A clearly stated, growth-management platform distinct from the other two challengers' broader messaging, plus a community-ministry background.

Trade-offs

No elected or appointed government experience, and the shortest local tenure of any candidate in this field (eight years, versus 12+ for the incumbents and 15+ for Cueva).

Keep in mind

The city's own chart lists him as "James Mercado"; his own filings and campaign site use "Jim Mercado" — this page follows his own spelling.

Carlos Cueva

A challenger running under the ballot designation "Director, Design Development," his job at Riverside University Health System since 2024. His filed Candidate's Statement says he has served on Beaumont's Planning Commission for almost two years and has lived, worked and raised his family in the city for over fifteen years. He describes a professional background in commercial and residential development and bond financing, and lists priorities of public safety (community policing and emergency services), infrastructure investment, and supporting local businesses.

Strengths

Current Planning Commission service plus a development- and finance-industry career directly relevant to a council seat's land-use and budget work.

Trade-offs

No prior elected experience, and his Planning Commission tenure (about two years) is shorter than the incumbents' council tenures.

Keep in mind

He's one of three challengers running against three incumbents who are not opposing each other — the real choice is which, if any, challenger should unseat a sitting member.

Source review: Strong (88/100) · 9 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- "Candidacy in a Municipal Election" guide (Nov. 3, 2026 General Municipal Election): confirms Beaumont is a General Law city with Council-Manager government, a 5-member at-large City Council, and a City Clerk and City Treasurer each elected at-large to 4-year terms, with Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem selected by the Council annually rather than directly elected; positions up in 2026: three Council seats, one City Clerk seat, one City Treasurer seat
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont City Clerk -- "2026 Candidate Information" page: the clerk's own chart of every campaign/nomination document received for the Nov. 3, 2026 Municipal Election, confirming the qualified roster for City Council (six candidates: incumbents Lloyd White, Jessica Voigt and Mike Lara, and challengers Joseph Mathews, "James Mercado" (his own filed documents and campaign site consistently spell it "Jim Mercado") and Carlos Cueva) and City Clerk (incumbent Elaine Morgan and challenger Kathleen Aguilar-Billinger); no City Treasurer section appears anywhere on the page as of retrieval (weeks after the Aug. 7/12 filing deadline), though the office was listed as up for election on the city's own election guide
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Government and City Council pages: confirm the sitting council roster as of Aug. 2026 (Mayor Jessica Voigt, Mayor Pro Tem Lloyd White, and Councilmembers Mike Lara, Julio Martinez III and David Fenn) and that Mayor/Mayor Pro Tem rotate annually among the five at-large council members rather than being directly elected
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Alfred Lloyd White's filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (proposed designation "Beaumont Councilmember/Businessman"; justification cites his current council term, Jan. 2022-present) and Candidate's Statement for City Council: cites turning an $11 million budget deficit into reserves, cutting CFD taxes by nearly $4 million for about 12,000 homeowners, nearly tripling sales-tax revenue, Beaumont's first street-maintenance program, opening Fire Station 106, and over a decade representing Beaumont on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, including as Chair
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Jessica Voigt's filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (proposed designation "Mayor/Registered Nurse"; justification cites her current term as Mayor, sworn in Dec. 3, 2025 by the council's annual rotation, and her California RN license #731749 at Desert Regional Medical Center since 2008) and Candidate's Statement for City Council: cites four years on the council, 22 years married to a firefighter, and priorities of public safety, local businesses, traffic and infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and family-centered quality of life
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Mike Lara's filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (proposed designation "Incumbent"; justification cites his current council term, Jan. 2022-Dec. 2026) and Candidate's Statement for City Council: cites 12 years on the Beaumont City Council and a 35-year public-service career with the County of Riverside, hiring 42 additional police officers, rehabilitating more than 65% of the city's streets, and opening a new fire station
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Joseph Mathews' filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (proposed designation "Youth Commission Coordinator"; justification cites his current job title, Riverside County Youth Commission Coordinator, since 2023) and Candidate's Statement for City Council: cites U.S. Navy veteran status, chairing the Beaumont Economic Development Committee, and priorities of quality jobs, responsible growth, public safety, and fiscal responsibility
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Jim Mercado's filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (candidate name and proposed designation "Retired Retail Sales" both self-filed as "Jim Mercado," though the city's own candidate-information chart lists him as "James Mercado") and Candidate's Statement for City Council, which opens "My name is Jim Mercado": cites moving to Beaumont eight years ago, founding a Catholic-church outreach ministry, and priorities of infrastructure keeping pace with growth, developer community benefits, and resident input before votes
  • beaumontca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Beaumont -- Carlos Cueva's filed Ballot Designation Worksheet (proposed designation "Director, Design Development"; justification cites his current job title at Riverside University Health System since 2024) and Candidate's Statement for City Council: cites serving on the Planning Commission for almost two years, 15-plus years as a Beaumont resident, and a professional background in commercial/residential development and bond financing

Last updated August 31, 2026.