Strong showing, minus raffle, at rally for Clovis City Council Member Vong Mouanoutoua
A rally to re-elect Clovis City Council Member Vong Mouanoutoua went forward Saturday with a strong showing of support from local politicians – and without a raffle as previously planned.
Mouanoutoua recently faced some criticism after sharing a post that read, “BRING YOUR BALLOTS to the rally for a chance to win prizes!”
The Fresno County Clerk’s Office pointed to state election code, which states that candidates and their committees shouldn’t “pay, lend, or contribute ... any money or other valuable consideration to or for any voter.”
Mouanoutoua said he decided to cancel the raffle after The Bee’s news coverage reporting that on Thursday. Mouanoutoua didn’t share more about his decision to cancel the raffle.
“The point of today is to get out the vote, and so, just concentrate on that,” Mouanoutoua said. “We’re here to teach people about voting, about the importance of voting, about the importance of being a citizen – doing your civic service. And if you want to maintain safe neighborhoods, if you want to maintain good schools, then you vote me in.”
Saturday’s rally outside Clovis’ Regency Hall on Willow Avenue was attended by a couple of hundred people and included live music and traditional dancers, guest speakers, and several food trucks. There was also a booth for conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.
Mouanoutoua has served one four-year term on the Clovis City Council. He described his key focus areas as “safety, parks and trails, good schools, good planning.”
Two Clovis city council seats will be decided in Tuesday’s election.
Mouanoutoua added: “Go out and vote.”
Among those who already did was Lee Vang, executive director of Fresno PACE, a geriatric healthcare provider, who attended Saturday’s event. He said Mouanoutoua has been “integral” in helping his facility navigate services, and is a great advocate for Clovis and Fresno.
Fresno, Clovis politicians share support
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig also talked about the importance of voting. He said “bold humility” is the phrase that comes to mind when he thinks of Mouanoutoua.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, another of the local politicians to speak at the rally, described Mouanoutoua as a “great man.”
“He’s a family man, he’s a godly man, he’s an honest man,” Dyer said, “and he’s somebody that I am proud to call a friend and somebody that I am proud to support for Clovis City Council.”
Dyer, formerly Fresno’s longtime police chief, also highlighted support Mouanoutoua has received from police and firefighters. Recently retired Fresno Police Chief Andrew Hall said Mouanoutoua is the first politician he’s endorsed because he didn’t endorse candidates while serving as chief.
Dyer also made a joke about the canceled raffle, telling the crowd, “Vong already told me that I won the TV, so you don’t even have to put your raffle ticket in.”
Clovis Mayor Drew Bessinger told The Bee he saw the raffle issue as a “nothingburger,” but didn’t elaborate.
Always ‘the right answers’
Bessinger addressed the Clovis crowd with many of Hmong descent by first welcoming them to Clovis, and then speaking a few lines in German after saying he’d already heard English, Hmong and Spanish at the event that started late Saturday morning.
Bessinger said he first met Mouanoutoua when Mouanoutoua was on the planning commission and he was with the police department. Bessinger said they ran in separate races for City Council because he respects Mouanoutoua so much and he wanted both himself and Mouanoutoua to be elected.
“Vong is the most prepared council member that we have,” Bessinger said. “He asks the correct questions, he always has the right answers, and he asks for guidance when he needs to.”
Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau shared two stories about Mouanoutoua, about how he helped get a Clovis business back open, and how he put forward an idea to help the medical system combat COVID-19 that was passed by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Brandau said Mouanoutoua is smart, “he’s got a heart that wants to help people,” and is a “man of faith.”
“It takes strong moral courage to govern, especially in the environment we’re in now,” Brandau said. Brandau described that environment in part by saying “half of the people don’t want you to wear a mask, the other half want you to wear two masks, and it seems like we’re in a time where you can’t do anything right.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
