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City of Cathedral City · Statewide General Election

Cathedral City Council, District 4

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 your district's seat on Cathedral City's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use. A 4-year term. The council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor and another as Mayor Pro Tem -- the titles rotate rather than being separately elected.

Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez, on the council since 2018, seeks reelection to the District 4 seat against two repeat challengers from his 2022 race: retired art gallery owner David Koslow and College of the Desert program specialist Rick Saldivar.

This person holds your district's seat on Cathedral City's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use. A 4-year term. The council selects one of its own members to serve as Mayor and another as Mayor Pro Tem — the titles rotate rather than being separately elected.

Gutierrez is campaigning on his record: public safety, infrastructure repair, code enforcement, neighborhood beautification, and addressing homelessness. Koslow and Saldivar are both repeat candidates, having also challenged Gutierrez for this same seat in 2022 and lost.

Ernesto Gutierrez

Ernesto Gutierrez was first elected to the Cathedral City Council in November 2018 and currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem. Born in Mexico, he immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 and has lived in the desert for nearly 40 years. He earned his degree from College of the Desert, works as a real estate and mortgage broker, and has owned and operated Tortilla's Restaurant in Cathedral City since 1996. His stated priorities are public safety, repairing local infrastructure, code enforcement, neighborhood beautification, and addressing homelessness.

Strengths

Two full terms of council experience plus a long-running local business (Tortilla's Restaurant since 1996) that predates his time in office.

Trade-offs

As the incumbent, his record on the priorities he campaigns on — infrastructure and homelessness among them — is now something voters can judge directly rather than take on faith.

Keep in mind

Both of his challengers this year also ran against him in 2022 and lost; this is their second attempt at the seat.

David Koslow

David Koslow is a retired art gallery owner running for the District 4 seat. He previously ran against Gutierrez for the same seat in 2022 and lost. No independent biography or platform statement beyond his occupation, as reported by the Desert Sun, was found in the time available for this profile.

Strengths

A second campaign for the same seat suggests sustained interest in representing District 4.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed public service found, and no independently reported platform beyond his occupation.

Keep in mind

This is his second run against the same incumbent, having lost in 2022; voters can weigh what, if anything, has changed since then.

Rick Saldivar

Rick Saldivar is a program specialist for College of the Desert's Rising Scholars program, which supports formerly incarcerated and system-involved students. He previously ran against Gutierrez for the District 4 seat in 2022 and lost. No independent biography or platform statement beyond his occupation, as reported by the Desert Sun, was found in the time available for this profile.

Strengths

Professional experience supporting formerly incarcerated students could inform a focus on reentry and youth services if elected.

Trade-offs

No prior elected or appointed public service found, and no independently reported platform beyond his occupation.

Keep in mind

This is his second run against the same incumbent, having lost in 2022; voters can weigh what, if anything, has changed since then.

Source review: Very strong (91/100) · 4 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • voteinfo.net (opens in a new tab)Riverside County Registrar of Voters — 2026 Annual Election Calendar (lists every November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election office by city, including "City of Cathedral City: City Council District 3 / District 4 / District 5 / City Treasurer")
  • desertsun.com (opens in a new tab)The Desert Sun — "See who's running for mayor and city council in Coachella Valley" (Tom Coulter and Sam Morgen, Aug. 13, 2026; names every qualified candidate in each Cathedral City council/treasurer race with a one-line occupation/background note)
  • web.archive.org (opens in a new tab)City of Cathedral City — Mayor & Council (official roster: Mayor Raymond Gregory/District 5, Mayor Pro Tem Ernesto Gutierrez/District 4, Councilmembers Lamb/District 1, Ross/District 2, Gordon/District 3, plus City Treasurer Greg Jackson)
  • web.archive.org (opens in a new tab)City of Cathedral City — Councilmember Gutierrez (official bio: District 4, term 2022-2026, first elected Nov. 2018; real estate/mortgage broker, owner of Tortilla's Restaurant since 1996)

Last updated August 31, 2026.