Coachella mayor’s race remains undecided as vote count continues
COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — Denise Delgado continues to lead the race for Coachella mayor as election officials work to count the remaining ballots.
Delgado has held the lead since the first batch of election results was released Tuesday night. She is running against incumbent Mayor Frank Figueroa, Jesus Gonzalez and Francisco Molina.
Speaking with News Channel 3, Delgado said she is excited and grateful for the support she has received so far, while acknowledging that more votes still need to be counted.
“We’re very excited and we’re very humbled by what we’ve seen in just the first update. Obviously there’s more to come, but at the very least for the first turnout we’re very excited and grateful for residents who came out and voted and cast ballots for me,” Delgado said.
Figueroa, who is seeking another term, said he remains optimistic and is waiting to see how ballots cast on Election Day could affect the results.
“Usually Coachella votes the day of and so we’re looking at where are those numbers. I’m hoping with the new count we’ll get a better, clear picture of where things are. For me it’s staying optimistic. I’m here for the ride,” Figueroa said.
The mayoral race comes after a year of change in Coachella, including the resignation of former Mayor Steven Hernandez and community debate over the proposed data center project.
Figueroa also pointed to the city’s recent controversies as issues that brought more residents into the political conversation.
“For a lot of people it was the turbulent time we had in our city. A lot of the people that came for the data center items but also people who also saw they wanted to make their voices heard… a lot of younger votes, turnout,” he said.
Residents are also watching the results closely. One Coachella resident told News Channel 3 that the top three candidates remain close and hopes the final count reflects the community’s wishes.
“We’re crossing our fingers that the decision Coachella makes will be the right one,” one resident said.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
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