Viewpoints and the Students in Politics club organized a local election and voter education town hall on May 6 in the Bradshaw Center at Riverside City College. The event showcased the Riverside congressional and city council candidates running and provided a forum for students to ask them questions directly.
For District 39, Steve Manos is the Republican candidate running against incumbent Mark Takano, who was not present at the town hall. Aram Ayra, Christen Montero and Mike Vahl are running for City Council in Ward 2. Gracie Torres is also a Ward 2 candidate, but was not at the town hall.
The candidates answered questions on topics such as homelessness, public transportation, affordability and the inspiration for their running.
Ayra is an educator and city commissioner and said he’s running on affordability, accountability and community involvement. He said Riverside is not a tenant-friendly city and claimed current city hall members are actively cutting off communication with Riverside residents.
“Resident engagement is critical for the city of Riverside and needs to be a priority for the city too,” Ayra said. “In the last few years, it has not been.”
Ayra is also an advocate for unmasking Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Riverside for public safety and the safety of undocumented residents.
Montero is a small business owner and planning commissioner with a background in physics, psychology and education. Montero said she was inspired at a young age to make changes in politics and has helped in many humanitarian programs. She said she believes the biggest problem affecting Riverside residents is also homelessness and it’s due to affordability issues.
“A lot of us are one paycheck away from becoming homeless,” Montero said. “Rent hasn’t been easy and there isn’t really a lot of middle-class housing available anymore.”
She is proud to live in a city where the local police force doesn’t work with ICE and advocates for “making sure that people understand what their rights are and that ICE agents cannot override local police.”
Vahl is a business consultant and owner who has been a resident of Riverside for the past 35 years and said he wants to make a difference in the city council and have the community be more involved in local politics.
“(I) want to make Riverside (the) great place that it’s been for me for the past 35 years,” Vahl said.
Manos has been the mayor of Lake Elsinore for the past 13 years and is an RCC alumnus. He said the reason he’s running is because he believes the world needs “stronger voices” and wants to improve the business environment in the city.
Manos said he is against public transportation because it will cause more congestion and create “safety and convenience issues.” He said there are efforts to “divide the country” and wants to focus on working families and dealing with crime.
The upcoming election is on June 2. You must be registered to vote before being able to drop off your ballot at your nearest drop-off location.
