RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Inland Empire United is proud to endorse Chris Castorena for Banning City Council District 5, recognizing his commitment to neighborhood investment, transparent government, and ensuring local growth benefits the people who call Banning home.
Local government should create opportunity, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve quality of life for working families. Inland Empire United believes communities deserve leaders who prioritize residents over special interests and long-term community benefit over short-term gain.
A lifelong Banning resident, graduate of Banning High School, and current Planning Commissioner, Castorena says his decision to run comes from seeing firsthand how local decisions have shaped investment, housing, jobs, and infrastructure throughout District 5. He believes residents deserve a stronger voice in those decisions and that City Hall should be accountable to the people most affected by them.
Castorena’s priorities include expanding affordable housing, attracting quality jobs, improving neighborhood infrastructure, and ensuring future development produces meaningful community benefits. He has also emphasized greater transparency, earlier community engagement in public decisions, and investments that improve everyday quality of life for families throughout Banning.
His record reflects years of local engagement. Beyond serving on the Planning Commission, Castorena has helped lead community initiatives focused on housing, youth leadership, civic engagement, and neighborhood investment through organizations including A Better Banning, the Pass Community Foundation, Faith in Action of the San Gorgonio Pass, and other local partnerships.
Castorena has also demonstrated his willingness to stand by his principles. As a Planning Commissioner, he voted against a large warehouse proposal because he believed it failed to deliver meaningful benefits for residents and would increase pollution and truck traffic without sufficient community investment.
Inland Empire United is proud to endorse Chris Castorena because of his commitment to accountable leadership, neighborhood investment, and ensuring Banning’s future is shaped by the people who live there.
The November General Election will take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. To learn more about Inland Empire United’s endorsed candidates, visit https://ieunited.org/2026-endorsements/.