Three Congressional Candidates, each vying for the lone 25th District Congressional seat. are set to debate

PALM DESERT — On Sunday, April 24, three Republican congressional candidates, all hoping to win the 25th District seat will participate in a debate at a luncheon at The Classic Club, 75-200 Classic Club Boulevard in Palm Desert.

The candidates are Pastor Brian Hawkins, James Gibson and Jonathan Reiss.

Hawkins is Senior Pastor/ Founder of Divine Appointment Worship center and a member of the San Jacinto City Council.

A Southern California native, Gibson graduated from California State University at Chico with a degree in finance. He has had many professional careers from taxi driver to stockbroker, real estate developer to farmer while raising three children. He retired after owning and operating a small manufacturing business.

Reiss has resided in the district for 25 years. While earning an honors degree in both Government and International Relations from Dartmouth College, he studied in Europe, interned for a longtime Senator in Washington D.C., for the Federal Community Action Program in Hawaii, and at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Post graduate studies were in Media Production at New York University.

The 25th District is new and expansive. It stretches over three counties and borders two states and a country.

The majority-Latino district goes east to Arizona, north to Nevada and south through Imperial County all the way to Mexico.

Indio and Coachella are in the 25th, along with the west valley north of Interstate 10, largely unincorporated aside from Desert Hot Springs. Also in the district is Cathedral City.

Incumbent House Democrat Raul Ruiz is running in the 25th.

This is your chance to get up close and personal to ask the tough questions.

The debate among congressional candidates is hosted by Coachella Valley Conservatives. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $48 and may be purchased by clicking here. 

Seating is limited.

Image Sources

  • Debate: Shutterstock