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City elected office

Mayor of Riverside

This citywide office represents Riverside as its directly elected Mayor.

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Data coverage
Government
City of Riverside
Public body
Riverside City Council
Electoral area
City of Riverside
City of Riverside boundary
Citywide office
i
Static City of Riverside outline. The Mayor is elected by the full city rather than from a ward.

Citywide representation

Mayor’s office stats

The office, its responsibilities and the city it serves.

Mayoral seat1Elected by voters throughout Riverside
Regular term4 yearsA citywide, nonpartisan office
Council wards7The mayor serves the entire city
Next mayoral vote2028March 7 · General Municipal Election

City leadership

What the mayor does

The mayor represents Riverside as a whole, presides over City Council meetings, presents city priorities, explains policies and programs to residents, and advises the council on policy and public relations.

Riverside’s council-manager form of government gives the mayor a different role from the city manager, who oversees day-to-day administration.

The mayor’s role

Citywide elections

One mayor for all of Riverside

Voters across all seven wards elect the mayor in a nonpartisan, single-seat contest. A candidate who earns a majority wins; otherwise, the top two candidates advance to a runoff.

City Council ward boundaries divide council representation. They do not divide the mayor’s electorate, which follows the city limits in effect for each election.

See mayoral elections →
Next City Council Meeting · 3:00 p.m. Art Pick Council Chamber, Riverside City Hall 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522 Full agenda on the City Page →

Current officeholder

Your mayor

Current service, election dates and past officeholders.

Official portrait of Patricia Lock Dawson
City of Riverside Mayor's Office

Current officeholder

Patricia Lock Dawson

Mayor of Riverside

First elected
Election Page not yet available
Next election for this seat
Election Page not yet available
Current term
2024–2028Reelected March 5, 2024

Contact this office

Office
Riverside City Hall, 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522
Open Candidate PageOfficial Office Website
Past officeholders2 past officeholders listed

Succession history

Explore prior service

Recent predecessors are shown below. This is a partial chronology of Riverside’s mayors.

Service dates describe time in office; election dates describe when voters chose the officeholder. City boundaries can change between elections.

Area represented

City of Riverside

The mayor represents residents across the whole city.

City of Riverside outlined in teal over USGS roads and terrain
Teal: City of RiversideBasemap: USGS The National Map

City limits define the mayor’s electorate. This map shows the city boundary; historical elections reflect city limits at the time. Explore the City of Riverside Page →

Mayoral elections

November 3, 2026 election

Next election
Election information

Past elections

Each result reflects Riverside’s electorate for that election. The city map above does not establish historical city limits.

Public records

Records connected to this office

Open the official records used to follow the work, decisions, or disclosures connected to this office.

Council proceedings

City Council agendas and meeting records

Review agendas, staff reports, minutes, and other records of City Council proceedings.

Open official record

City records

City Clerk online documents

Browse council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, campaign statements, and other public records maintained by the City Clerk.

Open official record

Campaign finance

City campaign filing portal

Search candidate and committee disclosure filings maintained for City of Riverside elections.

Open official record

News and Press Releases

Updates from this office

Read independent reporting, official updates, and other public-source coverage connected to this office. Follow each link to the original publisher.

City of Riverside Mayor's Office
Mayor's message

July 2026 Mayor's message focuses on housing

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson discusses homeownership, missing-middle housing, local development reforms, and Riverside's housing pipeline.

Official sourceRead official update
City of Riverside Mayor's Office
Mayor's message

February Mayor's message addresses homelessness

The Mayor outlines legal constraints, city responsibilities, and Riverside programs addressing homelessness and related public concerns.

Official sourceRead official update
City of Riverside Mayor's Office
State of the City

Mayor presents Riverside's 2026 State of the City

The annual address reviews public safety, economic activity, neighborhood investment, housing, homelessness, parks, and city services.

Official sourceRead official update

Records and reference material

Sources

City government, elections, officeholder history, maps and reporting.

Data coverage noteHistory incomplete

Current office information, recent predecessors and 2020–2024 election results are available.

Earlier elections, complete succession, vacancies and appointments, and the city boundaries and election rules for each historical event remain incomplete. Small overlaps between independently maintained district boundaries also need confirmation.

Sources reviewed September 8, 2026
Sources used on this page14 sources in 7 categories
City government and officeholders1 source
City of Riverside

3 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
Mayor’s role and biographyThe current mayor and the office’s policy and community responsibilities.City Charter · elected offices and termsOne citywide mayor, seven ward councilmembers and four-year terms.2024 mayoral termPatricia Lock Dawson’s second term ends in 2028.
Officeholder history2 sources
University of California, Riverside

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
UCR Magazine interviewThe transition from Rusty Bailey to Patricia Lock Dawson and Ronald Loveridge’s 1994–2012 mayoral service.
City of Riverside

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
December 2012 Ward 3 vacancy noticeRusty Bailey’s election as mayor in 2012.
Elections and voter registration3 sources
City of Riverside City Clerk

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
Municipal election scheduleMarch 7, 2028 mayoral election and November 2026 municipal runoff context.
Riverside County Registrar of Voters

4 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
Certified March 2024 resultsMayoral votes and percentages. Linked by the Registrar’s certified-results page; updated April 4, 2024.March 2024 certified-results landing pageOfficial provenance for the hosted 2024 election report.November 2020 final resultsFinal mayoral runoff votes; December 3, 2020 report.March 2020 final resultsFirst-round mayoral votes; April 16, 2020 report.
California Secretary of State

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
Voter registration deadlinesVoter registration information accompanying the November 2026 election event.
Meetings and public records2 sources
City of Riverside

3 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
Next City Council meeting and agendaDate, time, location and full agenda for the meeting notice.City Council agendas and meeting recordsReview agendas, staff reports, minutes, and other records of City Council proceedings.City Clerk online documentsBrowse council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, campaign statements, and other public records maintained by the City Clerk.
City of Riverside NetFile portal

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
City campaign filing portalSearch candidate and committee disclosure filings maintained for City of Riverside elections.
Maps and district boundaries3 sources
U.S. Census Bureau

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
Riverside city boundaryThe city boundary used in the topographic map and gold boundary icon.
U.S. Geological Survey

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
USGS The National MapTopographic basemap with roads and terrain.
District geography sources

23 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
Riverside City Council Ward 1Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 2Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 3Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 4Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 5Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 6Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside City Council Ward 7Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside County Supervisor District 1Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Alvord Unified School DistrictBoundary displayed in Related Areas.Corona-Norco Unified School DistrictBoundary displayed in Related Areas.Moreno Valley Unified School DistrictBoundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside Unified School DistrictBoundary displayed in Related Areas.County Board of Education Trustee Area 2Boundary displayed in Related Areas.County Board of Education Trustee Area 3Boundary displayed in Related Areas.Riverside Community College DistrictBoundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Senate District 31Boundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Senate District 32Boundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Assembly District 58Boundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Assembly District 60Boundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Assembly District 63Boundary displayed in Related Areas.California State Board of Equalization District 4Boundary displayed in Related Areas.U.S. Congressional District 39Boundary displayed in Related Areas.U.S. Congressional District 41Boundary displayed in Related Areas.
Related officeholders1 source
Official office profiles

16 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
Philip FalconeOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 1.Clarissa CervantesOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 2.Steven RobillardOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 3.Chuck ConderOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 4.Sean MillOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 5.Luis HernandezOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside City Council Ward 6.Jose MedinaOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying Riverside County Supervisor District 1.Ben Johnson IIOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying County Board of Education Trustee Area 2.Jamie Azpeitia-SachsOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying County Board of Education Trustee Area 3.Sabrina CervantesOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Senate District 31.Kelly SeyartoOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Senate District 32.Leticia CastilloOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Assembly District 58.Dr. Corey A. JacksonOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Assembly District 60.Natasha JohnsonOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Assembly District 63.Mike SchaeferOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying California State Board of Equalization District 4.Mark TakanoOfficeholder identity and portrait accompanying U.S. Congressional District 39.
News and photographs2 sources
City of Riverside Mayor's Office

3 records from this source are used on this page.

Official website
July 2026 Mayor's message focuses on housingPublication displayed in the News section.February Mayor's message addresses homelessnessPublication displayed in the News section.Mayor presents Riverside's 2026 State of the CityPublication displayed in the News section.
City of Riverside

1 record from this source is used on this page.

Official website
Official mayoral portraitPatricia Lock Dawson portrait in the Officeholder section.
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