Jorgel Chavez seeks Water Replenishment Board Division 4 seat

Bell Gardens City Councilmember Jorgel Chavez is running for the Southern California Water Replenishment Board Division 4 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, California general election. The nonpartisan race also includes Samuel A. Peña and Sergio Joseph Calderon.

Asked why he is running, Chavez said in our candidate questionnaire: "I believe our communities deserve clean, reliable and affordable water, and new leadership that is focused on the future. … I want to protect our groundwater, address PFAS and other contaminants, capture more stormwater, invest in our infrastructure and reduce our dependence on imported water."

In his campaign announcement, as The SELA Sun reported, Chavez said: "The question is, do you even know who your water representative is? Most people don't. So let's change that."

Candidate information

Party affiliation: "Democrat," Chavez said in our questionnaire. The water board race is nonpartisan.

Education: Chavez said in our questionnaire: "I graduated from Bell Gardens High School and attended Long Beach City College, where I earned associate degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies. I transferred to USC, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Political Science with a minor in Communications, Policy and Law, and later earned my Master of Public Administration. I graduated Cum Laude and was the first in my family to graduate from a four-year university."

Family: Chavez said in our questionnaire: "I come from a working-class family and was born and raised in Southeast Los Angeles."

Experience and public service

Chavez said in our questionnaire: "I currently work as an Infrastructure Consultant and serve as a Bell Gardens City Councilmember. Before that, I worked as a union organizer with SEIU, where I organized alongside workers and working families throughout Southern California."

Asked about previous offices, Chavez said: "I was first elected to the Bell Gardens City Council in 2020 and reelected in 2024. I have served as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem." He is also principal and owner of Chavez Public Affairs, LLC, according to the city of Bell Gardens website.

Asked what accomplishments show he can handle the job, Chavez said: "I am especially proud of helping deliver a new $31 million Aquatics Center for our community and investing in parks and infrastructure."

On the issues

Water challenges: Asked about the three most important water challenges facing the district's service area, Chavez said: "First, we need to protect our groundwater from PFAS and other contaminants. … Second, we need to become less dependent on expensive imported water by expanding water recycling, stormwater capture and groundwater recharge. Third, we need to prepare our infrastructure for the future."

Balancing infrastructure and affordability: Chavez said: "We cannot continue putting off infrastructure investments because eventually residents end up paying even more when systems fail. At the same time, we cannot balance every investment on the backs of working families."

Public vs. private water ownership: Chavez voted against moving forward with the proposed sale of Bell Gardens' water system to Golden State Water Company, a private utility, according to The SELA Sun. He said: "We had a choice of whether or not to sell a public asset, and for me, it's always about putting the residents and ratepayers first."