Indio City Councilman Oscar Ortiz announced Sunday that he will run for the District 36 state Assembly seat in November 2026.
Ortiz, a Democrat, has served on the City Council for seven years and also served as Indio’s mayor in 2023. He is currently the chair of the Coachella Valley Association of Government Energy and Sustainability Commission and the deputy director for a local non-profit, where he specializes in environmental education.
The seat is currently held by Republican Jeff Gonzalez, who was elected in 2024. Gonzalez is expected to seek re-election in 2026, though it is not known who else will join Ortiz in the race.
“I’m running for state Assembly to raise the concerns of workers in our state,” Ortiz said in a statement. “Our families are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of rent and the ever-increasing costs of health care and insurance rates. We need representatives who are willing to bring bold, innovative solutions to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our region. I’m committed to ensuring that California prioritizes its resources on funding that will directly benefit the workers that have helped to build and sustain our growing communities.”
In Riverside County, the district covers the eastern Coachella Valley, including Coachella, Indio, and the communities surrounding the Salton Sea. It also encompasses the Palo Verde Valley, including the city of Blythe, and portions of the Diamond and San Jacinto Valleys, including Winchester, Anza and parts of Hemet.
Within San Bernardino County, District 36 includes Needles, Big River and Blue Water, situated along the Colorado River. It encompasses all of Imperial County, and also includes several Native American reservations including Santa Rosa, Cahuilla, Ramona Village, Torres Martinez, Cabazon, Augustine, Chemehuevi, Twenty Nine Palms, and portions of Colorado River and Fort Mojave Reservations.
Ortiz ran unsuccessfully for the 25th Congressional District seat in 2024, losing in the March primary.
He holds a chemistry degree from Stanford University, from which he graduated in 2012 after graduating from Indio High School in 2008. He is originally from Mexicali, Baja California, but was raised in Indio and became a U.S. citizen at 17 years old.
More information can be found at oscarforassembly.com/.