Still deciding your vote? See 30-second pitches from Fresno Council candidates
Fresnans will decide Tuesday which of the top two candidates in the four competitive City Council races will move on to the general election or win flat out.
The seats to represent Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are all up for grabs in the June 2 primary election.
At just one day out from Election Day, and with only 17% of the mailed-out ballots returned statewide, you are not alone if you have yet to decide on your votes.
We are here to help.
In April, The Bee held forums where candidates from each district answered questions and expressed positions on local issues. To close, they each gave a 30-second pitch to voters.
Here are those closing statements, where candidates briefly explain why they should earn the trust of voters.
District 1 candidates pitch themselves to voters
Four candidates are vying for the District 1 seat: Monte Forkas, a former campaign coordinator; Rob Fuentes, State Center Community College District trustee and federal prosecutor; Joe Hinojosa, city of Fresno’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator; and Naindeep Singh, nonprofit leader and Central Unified board trustee.
Fresno’s District 1 covers a large portion of northwest and west-central Fresno, including Tower District, the Fresno High area, parts of Fig Garden, and areas west of Highway 99.
Read the District 1 voter guide here. Watch the full District 1 candidate forum here.
District 3 candidates pitch themselves to voters
The slate of District 3 candidates includes: tradesman Charles Montoya, former 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.
Fresno’s District 3 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.
Read the District 3 voter guide here. Watch the full District 3 candidate forum here.
District 5 candidates pitch themselves to voters
District 5 Fresno City Councilman Brandon Vang is set to face three challengers in his reelection bid: State Center Community College Trustee Danielle Parra, entrepreneur Nickolas Wildstar and former Fresno County Director of Economic Development Jose Leon Barraza.
District 5 encompasses a large portion of southeast Fresno, including neighborhoods like Sunnyside, Roosevelt, and Fancher Creek.
Read the District 5 voter guide here. Watch the full District 5 candidate forum here.
District 7 candidates pitch themselves to voters
Four candidates are vying for the District 7 seat: community organizer and consultant Ariana Martinez Lott, Blackstone Merchants Association founder AJ Rassamni, retired paralegal Jason Keomanee and attorney Nav Gurm.
Fresno’s District 7 includes east-central Fresno and parts of southeast Fresno, including the Manchester, Radio Park, Romain Park, Lafayette Park/Fresno High neighborhoods. The district also includes parts of the Blackstone Avenue corridor and neighborhoods near Shields and Temperance avenues.
Read the District 7 voter guide here. Watch the full District 7 candidate forum here.