Nav Gurm leads early in tight Fresno City Council District 7 race
Fresno City Council District 7 candidate Nav Gurm emerged in the lead on Election Night as initial results rolled on Tuesday, with Ariana Martinez Lott trailing not far behind.
Gurm had secured 40.28% of the vote as of 8:09 p.m. Tuesday; Martinez Lott had gained 35.33%.
AJ Rassamni followed with 15.36% of the vote and Jason J. Keomanee with 8.62% in the race to replace termed-out Councilmember Nelson Esparza.
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.
Gurm is an attorney and the owner of Five River Strategies, a Central Valley public affairs consultancy. He is also a former legislative assistant for Esparza. The Bee recently reported on Gurm, who has benefitted from the financial backing of a political action committee he cofounded, Youth Save Democracy, which some political experts say stands out for its high overhead expenses and relatively sparse political spending.
Martinez Lott is a community organizer and the owner of Corazón Consulting. She also worked for Fresno Councilmember Miguel Arias as director of community relations from 2021 to 2023.
Rassamni is the founder of the Blackstone Merchants Association. He’s also the former owner of the Great American Car Wash and the author of a business book.
Just a week before Election Day, Gurm and Rassamni traded barbs via mailer and social media. Gurm questioned Rassamnis’ slogan of “People Before Politics,” in relation to his proposed “safe zones” for the homeless. Rassamni countered by questioning Gurms’ readiness for the job as a 26-year-old.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated as votes come in through Tuesday night.