Cantwell-Copher heads to runoff in schools superintendent race, second place still close
Incumbent Michele Cantwell-Copher will face off against another candidate in November to head Fresno County schools.
As of 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, Cantwell-Copher had about 42 percent of votes.
While Cantwell-Copher holds the lead, her contenders’ results are still neck-and-neck.
Eimear O’Brien currently holds the second-most votes at nearly 30 percent, while Johnny Alvarado has 28 percent of votes.
All precincts have reported their results. If a candidate had gotten more than 50 percent of the vote, they would’ve won the seat.
The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election in November.
Cantwell-Copher was elected as the chief of Fresno County schools in June 2022.
O’Brien served as the superintendent of Clovis Unified from 2017 to 2023, and Alvarado has worked at seven different districts across Fresno County.
The Fresno County Superintendent of Schools oversees the local office of education and 31 school districts across the county.
Meanwhile, the state superintendent of public instruction heads the California Department of Education and oversees the state’s public education system.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 8:34 PM.
