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City of Cathedral City · Statewide General Election

Cathedral City Council, District 5

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.

District 5's seat is open: incumbent Mayor Raymond Gregory is not seeking reelection. Antonio Baciu, a former vice chair of the city's Parks and Community Events Commission, and Danielle Mead, chair of the Planning Commission, are running to succeed him.

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.

With no incumbent in the race, District 5 is guaranteed a new representative. Both candidates bring prior city-commission service — Baciu on parks and community events, Mead chairing the Planning Commission — but neither's detailed platform was independently reported beyond that commission background in the time researched for this profile.

Antonio Baciu

Antonio Baciu is a former vice chair of Cathedral City's Parks and Community Events Commission, running for the open District 5 council seat. No independent biography or platform statement beyond his commission service, as reported by the Desert Sun, was found in the time available for this profile.

Strengths

Prior appointed service on a city commission gives him some familiarity with how city government operates.

Trade-offs

No prior elected office, and no independently reported policy platform beyond his commission role.

Keep in mind

Both candidates in this race come from city-commission backgrounds rather than prior elected experience — voters have no incumbency record to weigh for either.

Danielle Mead

Danielle Mead chairs Cathedral City's Planning Commission and is running for the open District 5 council seat. No independent biography or platform statement beyond her commission role, as reported by the Desert Sun, was found in the time available for this profile.

Strengths

As Planning Commission chair, she has direct experience with the land-use and development decisions that also come before the council.

Trade-offs

No prior elected office, and no independently reported policy platform beyond her commission role.

Keep in mind

Her Planning Commission role means she has likely already weighed in on development matters the council will separately decide.

Source review: Very strong (90/100) · 3 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)

Last updated August 31, 2026.