Joe Vinatieri Seeks Re-election As Mayor
Ethan Airada | COPY EDITOR
April 09, 2026
As Election Day approaches, the current mayor of the City of Whittier, Joe Vinatieri, was interviewed by the Quaker Campus to share his experiences and plans for the future of Whittier.
Vinatieri explained that he is a Whittier native, “born and raised,” and has always been interested in politics, dating back to his time in high school. In addition, he was raised by a family involved in politics and was heavily influenced by Republican politician M. David Stirling.
His political career officially began in 2006, and he has remained a part of Whittier’s government for the past twenty years, continuing his position as mayor since 2016.
Regarding public safety, Vinatieri cited projects that he has signed off on during his terms, such as the Whittier Narrows Reservoir and helihydrant system designed to combat any wildfire that may occur in the Puente Hills Landfill and the rest of the Whittier Hills.
Vinatieri shared that these plans came about because of the Palisades fires that happened in January of last year. Furthermore, the project includes the construction of Fire Station 17, located on Hadley Street, and the $60 million in reserve the City has accumulated and allocated specifically for disaster relief, such as wildfires or earthquakes.
The project also includes planting over ten thousand oak trees throughout the City, as they provide natural fire resistance.
Vinatieri emphasized that, during his tenure, he has prioritized public safety and making Whittier “the best place in Southern California to raise a family.”
Some of his projects are focused on this, as the City has renovated and added new features to some parks in Whittier, such as a new playground in Penn Park or adding soccer fields to Parnell Park. Vinatieri also mentioned an Easter egg hunt that was very successful and a sign that the renovations are working as intended.
Given that Whittier is a historic town, many residents feel that new pursuits, like the construction of townhomes and the Greenleaf Promenade, are an erasure of long-standing aspects of the City.
Vinatieri explained that the City is required by the state government to have the capacity to build 3,439 homes, making the townhomes the most efficient way to stay in accordance with California state law and to accommodate the growing population.
“If you’re interested in dealing with
those issues, then I’m here to continue to
do that. I have a track record.”Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri
“Look around, where are we gonna build 3,439 new homes? Where? I mean, it’s—it’s almost impossible.”
According to the Census Bureau, Whittier has a population of about 85,000 people, and a population density of about 5,800 people per square mile. Given this, the City rezoned itself for high-density housing to directly address this despite pushback.
“It all depends on the community, so we want to do it in a balanced way, but we need to do some housing. We can’t just not do it,” he says.
Vinatieri also elaborated on the Greenleaf Promenade project and the controversy over the removal of the historic ficus trees throughout Uptown.
As an Uptown business owner of Auntie’s Bakery & Cafe, he was not involved in the decision and reiterated the same reasoning that the City provided.
The ficus trees in Uptown were planted in the late 1960s and have since become a staple of the town. However, after losing a $7 million lawsuit after Justine Gurrola tripped and fell on an uneven sidewalk warped by tree roots, the City later resolved to remove all the ficus trees in Uptown, a cause for much controversy.
The reasoning for this decision was not only due to the lawsuit but also potential damages to a water main on Greenleaf Avenue due to the roots having grown into the infrastructure of many buildings throughout the street.
On the subject of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Vinatieri explained that he remains officially neutral, but does not condone their reported practices.
“I don’t care for the masks. I don’t care for the fact that they’re not identified with a badge. If anybody in the Whittier Police Department did that, they would be fired.”
ICE was active in Whittier during June of last year and has sparked protests around the city. Vinatieri explained that Whittier’s neutrality is only because the City does not want to become a target of the administration like many other cities in California.
The mayor has previously remained silent on ICE, but mentioned in the interview that the City set aside funds for families experiencing financial difficulties due to ICE activities and for the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce.
Vinatieri left this message for the residents of Whittier:
“As people are looking to vote, they need to ask themselves, ‘What do I want a future to look like?’ And, the future is making sure we take care of our people and in specific ways, not just amorphous—saying things—but specifics because we have some real issues that we have to deal with, and we are dealing with.”
Vinatieri continues with, “If you’re interested in dealing with those issues, then I’m here to continue to do that. I have a track record. I love Whittier. I bleed Whittier red, and I’m here to serve the people, and it’s an honor to be able to do so.”
Vinatieri continues to seek reelection and to continue serving Whittier as mayor. His current opponent is James Becerra, who focuses on communication and long-term planning for the city.
The local election takes place on Tuesday, April 14. Whether one votes for Joe Vinatieri or James Becerra is up to them, and both have different visions for the City in the coming years.
Whoever wins, it’s all up to the residents of Whittier.