Arambula leading Fresno City Council District 3 race; Thomas right behind in early vote
Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula began primary election night in the lead of the crowded Fresno City Council District 3 race.
Seven candidates are vying for the spot to replace outgoing Councilmember Miguel Arias, and as of 8:09 p.m., Arambula led with about 29.71% of the vote. Next in line was Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas, who had gained roughly 26.58% of the vote, while former West Park Elementary School Board Trustee Fernando Alvarez was next with 14.96%.
In fourth was crisis response manager Tiffany Apodaca with 14,33%, followed by real estate broker and contractor Larry Burrus with 7.06%, Fresno County Department of Health administrative caseworker Jalen Swank with 4.58% and tradesman Charles Montoya in last with 2.53%.
To secure a seat, a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote Tuesday. If no one gets a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the general.
Arias, has held the position since 2019 and will term out at the end of the year.
Arambula, trained as 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.
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.
Alvarez was elected as a West Park School Board trustee in 2022 at age 21. He has also served as a government affairs specialist at the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated as votes come in through Tuesday night.