Following a redistricting push, California’s 25th Congressional District will see some change, starting with the primary elections.
The Coachella Valley cities of Rancho Mirage, La Quinta and Palm Desert are joining the district, as well as Twentynine Palms. The district will continue to include most of the rest of the Coachella Valley, including Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Indio, Coachella and the entire east valley.
Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat, is running for reelection. He first took office in 2013 after graduating magna cum laude from UCLA and then graduating from Harvard Medical School. He worked as an emergency room physician until being elected to Congress. Ruiz was born in Mexico, but grew up in Coachella after being adopted by his aunt.
He is being challenged by three Republicans: Joe Males, the mayor pro tem of Hemet and a Marine Corps veteran; Ronald Huffman, a former electrical worker and union steward from Beaumont; and Ceci Andrade Truman, a small business owner whose election filings place her in Winchester.
To get to know the candidates, The Desert Sun asked each of them the same three questions.
Truman did not respond to the Desert Sun’s messages and her campaign website has no contact information. The website describes her as “an America 1st, Christian principled, constitutionalist.” She aligned herself with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — who is also running for governor as a Republican — and Republican State Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, who represents the 36th District.
The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to November’s general election. See the candidates’ responses to our questions below.
What are the top two issues you would focus on if elected and what specific actions would you take to address them?
Ronald Huffman
1) Western Freshwater Compact — Import surplus Columbia River water via new interstate pipelines to secure reliable, affordable water for our farms and families. My plan would add 10 to 15 MAF (million acre feet) of water right into Lake Powell. It ends the water crisis (we’re) facing and allows California and the Colorado River Basin States to thrive again. It allows water to be reintroduced to the Salton Sea. It will be the biggest thing we can do for our District. It will allow our Farmers and Ranchers to once again thrive and grow. This Compact pays for itself in less than 10 years and will create tens of thousands of high paying union jobs for our citizens. If elected I will have this water flowing in 7 short years. There is no other alternative. The Sacramento and the Colorado River could never support the growth we’ve experienced. We have to grow our economy, it is the only way we can support our economy. Abundant water will boost our tourism and our agriculture to new records.
2) National Fuel Standard — End California’s unique, expensive fuel regulations with one common national standard to slash gas and diesel prices. I will introduce and champion a National Fuel Standard that establishes one common national standard for gasoline and diesel. This will eliminate California’s cap-and-trade taxes and unique fuel regulations, slashing prices at the pump for everyone. I will also fight and repeal California’s war on oil. We sit on the 7th greatest supply of oil and gas in the World. (Desert Sun Note: California contains the 7th largest supply of oil in the country, not the world.) California needs the revenue and I will fight to allow our oil and gas companies to supply the west with our own oil and gas. This alone would end California’s constant budgetary crisis.
These initiatives will take the burden off working families, lower the cost of living, and create good-paying union jobs in construction, infrastructure, agriculture, and trades. Abundant Water. Affordable Fuel. Relief and high paying union jobs for our Working Families.”
Joe Males
The first issue would be affordability and economic opportunity. Families throughout our communities are working harder but falling behind because of rising costs for groceries, gas, housing, insurance, and everyday necessities. I spent over 20 years as a small business owner and have seen firsthand what excessive regulations and rising costs do to working families and local businesses. I would fight to reduce unnecessary regulations, support domestic energy production, bring manufacturing and jobs back home, and support policies that help small businesses grow rather than bury them in red tape.
The second issue would be public safety and border security. Safe communities are the foundation of everything else. As a Marine Corps veteran and local elected official, I believe government has a responsibility to protect its citizens. I would support securing our borders, combating fentanyl trafficking, strengthening law enforcement partnerships, and ensuring our first responders have the resources and support they need to keep communities safe.
Raul Ruiz
The top two issues I am focused on are lowering costs and creating good-paying jobs. Families are struggling with the price of groceries, gas, housing, and utilities. I’ve worked to lower prescription drug costs for seniors, support affordable housing investments, and have taken on price gouging. I am also fighting back against policies that raise costs, including Donald Trump’s tariffs which are raising costs for everyone.
At the same time, we need to grow our local economy so families can build a future here at home. That means investing in infrastructure, clean energy, and small businesses that create stable, good-paying jobs. I want our young people to have opportunities in our community instead of feeling like they have to leave to succeed.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing this community right now, and how would your approach differ from your opponents?
Raul Ruiz
I believe the biggest challenge is that too many people feel left behind by an economy that is not working for them. People are worried about rising costs, housing affordability, and access to healthcare.
My approach has always been grounded in listening to the community and delivering results. As an Emergency Room Physician, I learned to solve problems by bringing people together and focusing on solutions. That is exactly how I serve in Congress. I work across the aisle when it helps our district, and I focus on practical solutions that improve people’s lives.
Ronald Huffman
Rep. Raul Ruiz is the central obstacle standing in the way of real progress for CA-25. He voted against President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, thankfully the bill passed and was signed into law. His vote would (have) denied our working families the meaningful tax relief we so desperately needed. He has backed every large spending measures that added to the national debt without securing a strong return for our district. Under his leadership, CA-25 has seen zero results relative to the federal taxes our communities contribute. As a physician, he should be safeguarding seniors’ healthcare, yet access and affordability have dramatically deteriorated. At the same time, he has supported expansive medical and related benefits for undocumented immigrants — programs he knows strain budgets and that we cannot sustainably maintain, while American seniors and working families struggle to keep up. I will take a different approach, one focused on practical results that put CA-25 citizens and seniors first.
(Desert Sun Note: As a member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Ruiz helps oversee the allocation of Affordable Care Act benefits. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for such benefits.)
Joe Males
I believe the biggest challenge facing our communities right now is that many people feel they are being left behind. Families are concerned about affordability, public safety, homelessness, and whether their children will have better opportunities than they had.
My approach differs because I come from outside the political establishment. I grew up facing real struggles, served in the Marine Corps, built a business from the ground up, and have served on city council making decisions that directly affect people’s lives. I’ve had to balance budgets, address public safety concerns, and solve real problems not simply talk about them. I believe leadership starts with listening, being accountable, and focusing on practical solutions instead of partisan talking points.
How will voters be able to measure your success in office, and what should they expect you to accomplish by the end of your term?
Joe Males
Voters should measure success by results, not promises. They should expect me to fight for safer communities, support policies that lower costs for working families, protect veterans and seniors, and advocate for economic growth and job creation.
At the end of my term, I want people to be able to say that their voices were heard, that government became more accountable, and that our communities are stronger, safer, and moving in the right direction. Public service should be about improving people’s lives, and that is how I would measure success.
Raul Ruiz
Constituents should measure success by results they can see and feel in their communities. I’ve secured more than $66 million in federal investments for projects across our district since 2022, including roads, water infrastructure, parks, and public safety improvements. This 2026 fiscal year alone, I secured $17 million for 15 new Community Projects. Some of these projects include the City of Brawley Main St. Rehabilitation and Water Main Project, City of Indio Monroe Street Ramp Project, City of Beaumont Pennsylvania Avenue Project, and City of Calexico Heber Park Project to name a few.
They should also expect a representative who is accessible, responsive, and focused on delivering meaningful results that improve their lives. I’m proud to have helped write and lead the passage of the PACT Act into law, which has helped more than 7,217 veterans in our district alone by expanding health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
At the end of the day, success means improving people’s lives and making sure our communities have the resources and opportunities they deserve.
Ronald Huffman
Voters will be able to measure my success by clear, tangible results rather than rhetoric. By the end of my first year, I will have introduced and advanced the Western Freshwater Compact through Congress, securing federal support for permitting, and the construction of the gravity fed pipelines and canals to import surplus Columbia River water into California. You will see concrete progress including legislation passed and signed by President Trump. Using the Stafford act we will cut through all of the obstacles put in front of this game changing bill. Federal law trumps (states’) laws and this project will move forward. Engineering and environmental reviews, and interstate agreements advanced with Oregon and Washington — all working toward new, reliable water deliveries that reduce our dependence on the stressed Colorado River and support farms and families in CA-25.
On fuel costs, I will introduce and push legislation for a National Fuel Standard that establishes one uniform national standard for gasoline and diesel, ending California’s costly cap-and-trade taxes and unique CARB (California Air Resources Board) regulations. Success will be measured by strong co-sponsorship, floor votes to override California’s separate mandates, and a documented narrowing of the price gap between California gas and the national average — delivering meaningful relief at the pump for working families, farmers, and truckers while creating good-paying union jobs. You should also expect me to fight for pro-worker tax relief measures that Rep. Ruiz has opposed, prioritize American citizens and seniors in federal spending, and bring a greater share of federal dollars back to CA-25 for so we can finally move forward with the much-needed highway and freeway infrastructure. I will provide regular public reports so you can track every step. My promise is straightforward and accountable: lower costs for water and fuel, more take-home pay for working families, and tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, and a government that puts citizens first.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 4 vie for Coachella Valley seat in Congress after redistricting
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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