Four candidates are competing for the Temecula City Council District 5 seat in the Nov. 3 election, with challenger Dr. Yuan Hawkes making traffic congestion the centerpiece of her campaign against incumbent Zak Schwank.

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a District 5 candidates forum Oct. 5 featuring Hawkes, Schwank and Laurel LaMont. Candidate Russell Shirley was unable to attend. Brian Connors, a Chamber board director, moderated the discussion, which focused on economic development and challenges facing local businesses.

Hawkes, a 19-year Temecula resident, holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and worked as a cancer research scientist before becoming a homeschool mom. She served on the Springs Charter School board from 2019 to 2022 and on Temecula's Community Services Commission from 2022 to 2025, where she rose to chair, according to a candidate profile published by Patch.

She told Patch that congestion is "the single most pressing issue facing my constituents" and proposed better signal coordination and dedicated turn lanes at problem intersections. She listed reducing traffic, preserving open spaces and creating local jobs as her top three priorities.

Hawkes criticized the incumbent in the Patch Q&A, saying she believes the current officeholder has failed on traffic, transparency, constituent engagement and creating a more business-friendly City Hall. She did not name Schwank in her responses. No public response from Schwank to those criticisms appeared in city records or the candidates forum coverage as of Oct. 27.

On the SDG&E Golden Pacific Powerlink, Hawkes said she opposes the project and has spoken against it alongside residents. The Temecula City Council announced its unanimous opposition to the proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line on May 26, according to a city statement. The project would run tower structures up to 191 feet tall through the city east to west.

Hawkes said she supports affordable housing done responsibly, with new units focused in underused areas rather than blanket density increases.

The Nov. 3 election determines the District 5 representative on the Temecula City Council. Voters can find vote centers and ballot drop-off locations through the Riverside County Registrar of Voters at voteinfo.net.