Joe Males wants to go from Hemet City Hall to the halls of Congress.

Males, a Republican and Hemet city council member, announced this week he plans to run for the House of Representatives in 2026.

He hopes to unseat Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, in California’s 25th Congressional District. The 25th includes all of Imperial County and desert communities in eastern Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well as Banning, Beaumont, San Jacinto and part of Hemet.

In a news release issued Tuesday, Males, a councilmember since 2021, said he was inspired to seek elected office following his son’s murder.

“That moment changed my life, and I vowed to fight for safer communities, uphold the rule of law, and prevent other families from facing such heartbreak,” Males said.

“Public safety is not just a talking point for me — it’s a personal mission, and it will be a top priority when I get to Washington.”

A Marine veteran, Males said he’s endorsed by Riverside County GOP assemblymembers Jeff Gonzalez and Greg Wallis, Hemet Mayor Jackie Peterson, San Jacinto Mayor Valerie Vandever and San Jacinto City Councilmember Crystal Ruiz, among others.

If he advances along with Ruiz to the November 2026 ballot, Males’ candidacy could be a test of GOP strength in Inland Southern California.

Going into last November’s election, Democrats held a roughly 15 percentage point edge in the 25th’s voter registration. Ruiz, a doctor, has not lost reelection after his upset win against GOP Rep. Mary Bono Mack in 2012, and he raised more than $2.5 million last election cycle.

That said, Gonzalez, the GOP assemblymember, won a solidly blue seat in November that includes much of the same territory as the 25th. Also, more than two-thirds of the district’s residents are Latino, a group that shifted toward President Donald Trump in 2024.

While Ruiz isn’t officially on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s target list, he’s been singled out in recent committee emails attacking House Democrats.

California’s primary sends the top two vote-getters in a House race, regardless of party, to the general election. The 2026 primary will take place June 2.