Your guide to the Fresno City Council District 3 primary election race
Seven candidates are vying for the open Fresno City Council District 3 seat in the June 2 primary election.
The current council member, Migule Arias, has held the position since 2019 and will term out at the end of the year.
The slate of candidates includes: tradesman Charles Montoya, Fresno County School Board Trustee Fernando Alvarez, Fresno County Department of Health administrative case worker Jalen Swank, Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas, real estate broker and contractor Larry Burrus and crisis response manager Tiffany Apodaca.
To secure a seat, a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote. If no one gets a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Montoya, Alvarez, Swank, Arambula and Thomas recently gathered for a forum hosted by The Fresno Bee, where they each expressed their positions on local issues and answered questions. Watch the full District 3 candidate forum here.
Where’s the district?
The district covers the southwest areas of Fresno, including downtown, Chinatown, the Tower District, and Edison and Lowell neighborhoods. It also includes most of the city’s industrial parks in south Fresno.
Of the 30,225 registered voters in the district, 14,604 are registered Democrats and 5,088 are registered Republicans, according to Fresno County data. Another 7,531 voters have no party preference listed.
Charles Montoya
Montoya has worked in the trades in various industries, and currently serves as a service technician at Arrow Lift, a mobility equipment supplier. He comes from a family of fifth-generation Valley farmers.
One of the most pressing issues he sees facing the district is a lack of commercialization. He says the district needs more stores, restaurants and other businesses.
“Getting a lid on crime and building a good reputation for District 3 is how we do it,” Montoya said.
Other priorities include affordable housing and making District 3 a “destination for the rest of the city’s residents.”
Fernando Alvarez
Alvarez was elected as a Fresno County School Board trustee in 2022 at age 21. He has also served as a government affairs specialist at the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
If elected, Alvarez said he plans to create an environment for small businesses to succeed and grow local jobs by cutting barriers and connecting entrepreneurs with resources.
He said it’s equally important to invest in Fresno’s youth through workforce pathways and mentorship programs.
“When we invest in opportunity, we address multiple challenges at once,” he said. “A stronger local economy means safer neighborhoods, more engaged residents, and a better future for the next generation.”
Other priorities include crime reduction and ensuring District 3 receives it’s fair share of investment from the city.
Alvarez is endorsed by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and Henry Perea, a former state assemblyman, Fresno County supervisor, and Fresno councilmember.
Jalen Swank
Swank works for the Fresno County Department of Public Health and previously served in the One Fresno Youth Jobs Corps Program.
She sees public safety as a pressing issue facing the district and that a holistic approach is the way to go, despite coming from a military and law enforcement family. She said that includes investing in community centers and programs that serve the community in housing, employment and mental health.
“This would further stabilize residents by addressing the total person and uprooting the issues rather than simply treating the symptom,” Swank said.
Other priorities include community revitalization and economic development.
Joaquin Arambula
Arambula, an emergency room physician, has served in the California State Assembly representing Fresno since 2016. He is set to term out of the Assembly District 31 seat at the end of the year.
Arambula believes High-Speed Rail will transform Downtown and Chinatown neighborhoods and improve Fresno’s economy, and is committed to seeing it to fruition, but said that businesses and residents who live in the area must be protected from displacement.
“The station will bring economic development, housing and create a thriving downtown, but that cannot be at the expense of people living there,” Arambula said. “We must invest and support our local small business community and our neighbors.”
Other priorities include investment in the revitalization of existing neighborhoods, public safety, housing affordability and supporting small businesses.
Arambula is endorsed by the Fresno City Employees Association, the North Coast States Carpenters Union, the Central Labor Council, the Central Valley Progressive PAC, Planned Parenthood, California Environmental Voters, Fresno Teachers Association and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1027 PAC.
Keshia Thomas
Thomas is a former Fresno Unified middle school teacher and current member of the district’s Board of Trustees. She also serves as assistant director of the Homeless Ministry through the Women’s Missionary Union and as assistant director of Children’s Church at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.
Thomas said neighborhood maintenance, such as repairing and expanding roads and sidewalks, installing traffic lights and trimming trees, is a top issue.
“Our northern neighborhoods have the best, but the south side of the city often gets overlooked,” Thomas said. “This must change. I will be a fierce advocate that my neighborhoods get the resources and attention they deserve.”
Other priorities include safe neighborhoods, good jobs and affordable housing, she said.
Thomas has been endorsed by the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.
Larry Burrus
Burrus is a real estate broker and contractor whose work has led to significant development in west Fresno.
He has run for the District 3 seat twice before. The first was in June 2018, when he received about 12% of the vote, and the second was in 2022, when he received about 27.9% of the vote, losing to Arias.
Attempts to reach Burrus by The Bee were unsuccessful.
“I am seeking to represent our community at City Hall in order to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and to serve as an effective advocate,” his X bio says.
Tiffany Apodaca
Apodaca is a crisis response manager at the Marjaree Mason Center and cofounder of Breaking the Chains, an anti-human trafficking nonprofit.
Apodaca said she aims to focus on basic quality-of-life issues, including roads, construction, illegal dumping and stray animals.
If elected, she said that she would prioritize strong oversight and accountability to ensure infrastructure projects are completed efficiently, support increasing enforcement, improve access to bulk waste pickup and expand spay and neuter programs.
“These may seem like basic issues, but they directly impact daily life,” Apodaca said. “My approach is simple: listen to residents, respond with urgency, and make sure the city is delivering the level of service our community deserves.”
Other priorities include public safety, affordable housing, education, economic growth and transparency.
Apodaca is endorsed by Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.
Who’s funding the race?
Arambula is leading the race in finances, with roughly $142,000 total raised over the past year, according to campaign finance disclosure forms filed by candidates’ campaign committees on the City of Fresno website. Many of Arambula’s contributions come from teachers, city employees and working-class individuals, his campaign manager Maria Lemus said.
Alvarez has raised roughly $45,000, with some small businesses and community leaders supporting his campaign, he said. Thomas has raised roughly $40,000.
Apodaca has raised nearly $20,000, with contributions primarily received from business owners, District 3 residents, friends and family, she said.
Montoya has raised roughly $2,000, which he said is primarily from family and friends.
