Two key Inland Empire races in the November 3, 2026 election could shape decisions on the issues that directly affect our communities, from clean air and water to the rising cost of living. In the 47th Assembly District, Leila Namvar and Greg Wallis are competing for a seat representing communities across San Bernardino and Riverside counties. In the 58th Assembly District, Clarissa Cervantes and Leticia Castillo are competing to represent communities in the Riverside area, with housing, transportation, environmental health, and affordability among the issues facing Inland Empire families.
In this guide:
- Leila Namvar running for California State Assembly, District 47
- Clarissa Cervantes running for California State Assembly, District 58
Why the 2026 Election Matters for the Inland Empire
For residents of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, environmental issues are closely connected to everyday concerns like health, housing, transportation, water bills, and access to quality jobs. The Inland Empire continues to experience significant air quality issues: the American Lung Association’s 2026 State of the Air report ranked San Bernardino County first and Riverside County second among U.S. counties for the worst ozone pollution, based on 2022–2024 data.
Water reliability is another long-term concern in the region. Riverside draws a considerable amount of water from groundwater basins, while drought, climate change, and increasing demand are placing pressure on water supplies and making recycling, conservation, groundwater recharge, and long-term water planning incredibly important. Regional agencies are investing in groundwater storage and recharge to strengthen water reliability.
Affordability and jobs are also central to the region’s future. The Inland Empire economy includes healthcare, government, major logistics, and other employment sectors, but residents continue to face rising housing costs, tight rental markets, and significant commuting needs. The Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) 2025 Riverside and San Bernardino Counties economic report found that rental vacancies remain low while rent has risen, and that a great share of the region’s workforce continues to commute to jobs in coastal counties.
For state legislators, these challenges intersect: how people get around, how water is managed, decisions about where housing is built, how goods move through the region, and how the clean energy economy develops can affect both environmental health and household finances.
California State Assembly District 47: Leila Namvar
| Covers | Parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, from the San Bernardino Valley through the San Gorgonio Pass to the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, and Desert Hot Springs |
|---|---|
| EnviroVoters endorses | Leila Namvar (D), City of Indio planner and labor leader |
| Also on the ballot | Greg Wallis (R), incumbent |
| Why it matters | A closely contested seat in a region with some of the nation's worst smog and extreme desert heat. |
Assembly District 47 spans communities from the San Bernardino Valley through the San Gorgonio Pass and into the Coachella Valley and surrounding desert communities, bringing together communities facing extreme heat, air pollution, long commutes, housing costs, and economic pressures. Leila Namvar brings more than two decades of local government experience in the City of Indio, along with experience as a labor leader and planner, giving her a background in both community development and advocating for working families. Since joining the City of Indio in 2005, she has worked on planning, strategic plans, city budgets, housing, infrastructure, economic development, and local job creation, while also serving as a union leader who negotiated contracts and advocated for better wages, working conditions, and healthcare.
Namvar has made climate resilience, environmental justice, pollution reduction, clean energy, and green jobs central to her vision for the district, while also focusing on affordable housing, healthcare, education, and the cost of living. Her experience is particularly relevant to a district where extreme heat, water pressures, air quality, public lands, housing affordability, and economic opportunity are deeply interconnected. In Sacramento, she plans to bring her local government and labor experience to policies that make housing more attainable, create good-paying jobs, expand access to healthcare and education, and strengthen climate resilience across the Inland Empire and desert communities.
California State Assembly District 58: Clarissa Cervantes
| Covers | Grand Terrace, Jurupa Valley, and parts of Corona, Eastvale, and Riverside |
|---|---|
| EnviroVoters endorses | Clarissa Cervantes (D), Riverside City Councilmember, Ward 2 |
| Also on the ballot | Leticia Castillo (R), incumbent |
| Why it matters | Decided by 596 votes in 2024, in the heart of the Inland Empire's warehouse and goods-movement corridor. |
Assembly District 58 encompasses communities in the Inland Empire where housing, transportation, warehouse development, goods movement, air quality, water, and economic opportunity are closely connected. Clarissa Cervantes brings experience as a Riverside City Councilmember, businesswoman, community organizer, and urban planner, with a background that includes transportation advocacy and work helping residents navigate local government. She currently represents Riverside’s Ward 2 and serves on regional bodies including the Riverside Transit Agency and Southern California Association of Governments, connecting her local experience to broader regional transportation and planning decisions.
Cervantes has made clean air, responsible land use, affordable housing, water, public transportation, and good-paying jobs central to her vision for the Inland Empire. Her record on the Riverside City Council includes supporting environmental and open-space protections, affordable housing, small businesses, infrastructure improvements, and efforts to address utility costs; she has also advocated for expanded public transit, including better routes, bus shelters, and solutions to the “last mile” barriers that can keep residents from using transit. Her Assembly priorities would build on that local experience by addressing warehouse and goods-movement impacts, expanding clean transportation, protecting water resources, supporting affordable housing and childcare, and creating pathways to good-paying jobs and workforce development.
How to Vote in the Inland Empire in 2026
Voting in California is easier than you might think, and you have more time and more options than you probably realize. Here’s how to make your voice heard in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Every active registered voter in California is automatically mailed a ballot, so you can vote from your kitchen table, drop it in a box on your way to work, or vote in person.
- Check that you’re registered. Confirm your registration and make sure your address is current at the California Secretary of State’s voter status page. The deadline to register online or by mail is October 19, 2026. But even if you miss that date, you can still register same-day: from October 20 through Election Day, you can register and vote at your county elections office or any vote center.
- Get your ballot. County elections offices begin mailing ballots to every active registered voter by October 5. Fill yours out at home, on your own time. Do your research to make sure you’re picking the best candidates—resources like EnviroVoters’ voter guide can be a great place to start! We recommend talking to friends and family about their voting plans and researching together.
- Return it your way. Mail it back (it must be postmarked by November 3, and the state recommends mailing it at least seven days early, so we suggest getting it in the mail by October 27 to be safe), drop it at an official ballot drop box (open starting October 6), or hand it in at any voting location. Prefer to vote in person? Many counties offer early in-person voting before Election Day, and polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Find your polling place or early voting location here.
However you choose to vote, your ballot is your power to protect clean air, safe water, and an affordable future for the Inland Empire.
What else is on your ballot?
We’ve spotlighted two key races in the Inland Empire above, but your ballot will have plenty more on it—statewide offices, local seats, and ballot measures that all shape the climate future of your community. To see every candidate we’ve endorsed statewide and in your area, check out our EnviroVoters Endorsements page.Â