Aryana Noroozi
Nathan Angel Urena, a lifelong Moreno Valley resident and the city’s Environmental and Historical Preservation Commissioner, announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat on the Moreno Valley City Council in next year’s election.
Urena’s announcement comes after the current city councilor for Moreno Valley’s District 2, Ed Delgado ®, plans to stand down for reelection and instead turn his attention to the California State Assembly District 60 and challenging the incumbent Corey Jackson in 2026.
Urena, who grew up in the city, said his campaign will center on public safety, education, and quality-of-life improvements.
“I am proud to step forward not as a politician, but as a neighbor and public servant who believes in the power of local leadership,” Urena said in a statement. “District 2 deserves proactive, transparent, and compassionate representation — and I’m ready to fight for the future our community deserves.”
According to his campaign, Urena’s priorities include strengthening community policing, expanding crime prevention programs through youth outreach, and improving emergency response times. He also plans to partner with schools, nonprofits, and businesses to expand after-school programs, mentorship opportunities, and career pathways for local youth.
On quality-of-life issues, Urena said he will focus on infrastructure upgrades, affordable housing, better public transportation, and revitalizing parks and community spaces.
“This campaign is about listening to our residents and building a Moreno Valley that is safer, stronger, and more united,” he said.
Urena’s campaign plans to host a series of listening sessions across District 2 in the coming months. The candidate corresponded with Black Voice News for an exclusive Q&A interview where he addressed his goals and their impact on Black and minority communities.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
BVN: Moreno Valley’s Black community makes up a significant part of the city’s population. How do you plan to ensure their voices and concerns are reflected in city policies and decision-making?
NU: You’re absolutely right, The Moreno Valley African American community makes up a significant percentage of the population. As such, I view it as essential to keep their opinions within any decision I make. Why? Simply because if elected, I will serve as a trustee for not just the Black community, but for every resident -advocating for their needs.
My main objective is ensuring that every individual exercises their constitutional rights to free speech, and I want to hear from everyone possible that I represent to ensure that their voices are heard, whether that’s holding community roundtables, conversing over coffee, or hosting them for dinner. I want to hear the concerns and opinions of all.
With Moreno Valley being so diverse I view it as a strength to hear from every constituency, because everyone has different experiences and background which can be beneficial to shaping the future of our city.
BVN: Q – Can you speak to the local impacts of the Trump administration’s actions and what role you think you can play as an elected official to help mitigate local impacts of immigration raids and/or pending cuts to essential programs and services?
Certainly, It is critical that we recognize how federal policies directly impact our community – and how strong, initiative-taking local leadership can protect Moreno Valley’s future. The Trump administration’s actions left lasting effects on California and cities like ours, particularly in the areas of immigration, the economy, the environment, and healthcare.
In Moreno Valley, a good population of our neighbors are immigrants who contribute daily to our schools, workplaces, and community life. Federal crackdowns created fear and uncertainty, leaving families vulnerable to housing insecurity and exploitation. Policies focused on mass deportations and restrictions on legal immigration fostered an anxiety that continues to weigh heavily on communities like ours. These actions not only hurt people but also weakened our tax base and risk[s] shrinking our local workforce.
Our economy depends heavily on (blue- collar trades, such as construction, warehouse logistics, etc.). Federal tariffs disrupted this sector and put local jobs at risk. Immigration restrictions further threatened industries such as construction and distribution, driving up costs for working families. Meanwhile, Moreno Valley’s efforts to grow jobs are being challenged by both federal trade policies and high state-level costs, such as fuel and energy.
California has long led the nation in environmental protection, but federal rollbacks undermined these efforts and created costly legal battles that affect local planning. Here in Moreno Valley, we are already grappling with air quality issues tied to warehouse development, and weaker federal protections only make the problem worse. At the same time, proposed cuts to Medi-Cal funding threatened access to healthcare for our most vulnerable residents.
My Plan for Local Resilience:
If federal funding cuts occur, I will work to ensure Moreno Valley is prepared by:
Protecting essential services such as public safety, education, and transportation. However, I will maintain my stance on pushing for accountability and building bridges between first responders and residents. The people of Moreno Valley should always have a feeling of trust within their first responders, without that trust – there is room for a breakdown in safety.
Educating our city’s residents of their Constitutional Rights by partnering with local groups such as TODEC. Civic education is an issue many Americans are facing and I believe by educating residents of their rights regardless of their status, I can create a sense of personal security and confidence when out in the community.
Advocating efficiency through smart technology and regional partnerships with neighboring cities. I will be proactive in pushing for Moreno Valley to be prepared for the future, by investing in technology to mitigate rising costs and allow for ease of service and access.
[I am committed to] exploring new revenue sources responsibly, always engaging residents before raising local costs, as well as engaging regional and state leaders to brainstorm on solutions, to better serve our constituencies, because if we can help each other throughout the Inland Empire our residents will be better off.
Building strong coalitions with schools, nonprofits, and healthcare networks to safeguard vital services, as well as searching for other avenues to increase quality of service, as well as being fiscally responsible to our residents.
Planning for the future by strengthening our city’s financial resilience, securing state-level grants, and developing contingency strategies to protect essential programs.
I am running for City Council because Moreno Valley deserves leadership that will stand up for our residents, safeguard essential services, and build a stronger, healthier local economy – no matter what happens in Washington. Together, we can protect our community and create opportunities for all.
BVN: Public safety is a top priority in your platform. What concrete steps will you take to improve trust between law enforcement and minority communities while addressing concerns about over-policing?
NU: One of my main goals is to bridge the divide between residents and community law enforcement. Within District 2, I would collaborate with Riverside Sheriffs (Moreno Valley Police Department) to host routine community engagements such as “Coffee/Cacao with a Cop” aimed to build those bridges especially with our community’s youth.
I also intend to work to revive the long-dormant Moreno Valley Citizens Public Safety Committee, a committee which worked to engage community stakeholders, identified community concerns, identified quality of life concerns, gathered information on police services and practices, and developed potential positions of advocacy for the City Council.
The Committee used to consist of 11 Mayor-appointed voting members. The 11 members were composed of two council members acting as the chair and vice chair; five public members, each of whom shall have the ability to evaluate the specific task and objectives of the Committee; two non-profit members (e.g. clergy) from churches located within Moreno Valley; and two representatives from businesses located in Moreno Valley.
Today, it has transformed [into] a City Council sub-committee which holds our law enforcement partners accountable. However, I would argue that if we want accountability, we need to revive the community-led commission which will work to ensure accountability, integrity, and transparency of our law enforcement partners.
BVN: How would you approach connecting with and serving Moreno Valley’s diverse populations — including residents who may feel overlooked or disconnected from local government?
NU: This question is one I constantly wrestle with. However, keeping residents engaged and connected is all about keeping them informed. There’s an overall disconnect between residents and government because many are still haunted by past politicians who sowed distrust between people and elected officials. But, I can also see through my own eyes that there is no real sense of “community” within this city. To counteract this notion, I plan on playing a very public role within my community and working to keep as many residents as informed as possible.
My door is always open, and I want residents to feel that they can come to me with any problem they see. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m not running as a politician, but rather as a neighbor who wants his community to thrive. If elected, yes, I’ll have an office, and a title, but in reality that means nothing if you can’t be there for your constituents, so I plan on being my community’s voice at every step.
BVN: What creative approaches would you like to use to engage young people, foster their leadership, and make them feel invested in the future of Moreno Valley?
NU: Our city’s youth is our future and I want to work to support them and their ambitions as much as possible. After all, our city’s motto is “Where Dreams Soar.” By partnering with our educational institutions such as MVUSD and Moreno Valley College, I want students to pursue their dreams and have the confidence to reach for the stars. What I don’t want is people using the excuse, “I grew up in Moreno Valley, and that’s why I didn’t succeed.” No. I want our community’s youth to be proud of where they come from and I as a city council member will work tirelessly to ensure that every child and young adult has every opportunity to become a “success story.
By improving our city’s quality of education, improving access to afterschool programs, and collaborating with local corporations and businesses who are willing to invest in our City, I want to be able to give opportunity and hope to young people throughout Moreno Valley so that they can achieve their full potential, and not be another statistic, or even worse, wasted talent.
BVN: Anything else you’d like our readers to know about you?
NU: This campaign is about you, your families, your dreams, and your everyday struggles. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I promise to listen, to learn, and to lead with integrity, compassion, and a deep love for this city.
For me, running for city council is not about having a title, or an office, ultimately it’s about working for a better tomorrow, and clearing a way so that our future generations have every opportunity to succeed.
So, let’s get to work to bring Moreno Valley and District 2 a new generation of leadership. Rooted in service. Driven by community.