YOUR VOTER GUIDE: Here’s who, what’s on the Nov. 5 ballot in Fresno, San Joaquin Valley
Welcome to The Fresno Bee’s Voter Guide to California’s Nov. 5 general election. Early mail-in voting for the election opens this week, and voters in various parts of Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley have much more to choose than simply who will occupy the White House.
In Fresno County and across the Valley, there are races for seats on city councils, county boards of supervisors, school boards and others. There is also a raft of local ballot measures, including school bonds and others, for voters to decide.
That’s on top of state legislative and Congressional contests. Taken in total, it makes for a full ballot for Valley voters to navigate.
We’ve compiled everything you need here to navigate the extensive ballot and help you make informed decisions, including links to election stories and profiles of candidates and measures up for consideration. Select election stories include answers from candidates to questions submitted by The Bee for this guide. You’ll also find links to Bee editorial staff endorsements for various races and measures.
What’s on the ballot?
U.S. President: The top of the ballot is the race for President and Vice President of the United States, which pits Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, against the Republican ticket, former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
U.S. Senate: Candidates seeking a six-year term are Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, appointed following the death of longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is not seeking re-election.
U.S. House of Representatives: Five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives that include parts of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties are up for election on the Nov. 5 ballot.
- Congressional District 5 (parts of Fresno and Madera counties, as well as all or part of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties): Republican incumbent Tom McClintock and Democrat Michael J. “Mike” Barkley.
- Congressional District 13 (parts of Fresno, Madera and Merced counties, as well as all or parts of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties): Republican incumbent John Duarte and Democrat Adam Gray. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for the 13th Congressional District.)
- Congressional District 20 (parts of Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties as well as part of Kern County): Republicans Vince Fong and Mike Boudreaux (Boudreaux placed second in the primary but subsequently suspended his campaign).
- Congressional District 21 (parts of Fresno and Tulare counties): Democratic incumbent Jim Costa and Republican Michael Maher. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for the 21st Congressional District.)
- Congressional District 22 (parts of Kings and Tulare counties as well as part of Kern County): Democrat Rudy Salas and Republican incumbent David Valadao. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for the 22nd Congressional District.)
California State Assembly: Six state Assembly seats that include all or parts of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties are up for election on the Nov. 5 ballot.
- Assembly District 8 (parts of Fresno and Madera counties, as well as all or parts of Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono and Tuolumne counties): Republicans George Radanovich and David Tangipa. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for Assembly District 8.)
- Assembly District 22 (part of Merced County, as well as all or part of Stanislaus County): Republican incumbent Juan Alanis and Democrat Jessica Self.
- Assembly District 27 (parts of Fresno, Madera and Merced counties): Republican Joanna Garcia Rose and Democratic incumbent Esmeralda Soria. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for District 27.)
- Assembly District 31 (part of Fresno County): Democratic incumbent Joaquin Arambula, Republican Solomon Verduzco.
- Assembly District 32 (part of Tulare County as well as part of Kern County): Republicans Vince Fong (who is also on the ballot for Congress) and Ken Weir.
- Assembly District 33 (parts of Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties): Republicans Alexandra Macedo and Xavier Avila.
Local races
Fresno County Board of Supervisors: Two seats on the five-member Fresno County Board of Supervisors are being contested, both encompassing different parts of the Fresno metro area:
- Fresno Bee Voter Forum. Click here to watch the recording of The Bee’s Oct. 2 event that featured District 2 and District 3 supervisor candidates.
- District 2, covering northeast and northwest Fresno, incumbent Supervisor Steve Brandau is challenged by Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for District 2.)
- District 3, which covers southeast and southwest Fresno, incumbent Supervisor Sal Quintero faces a challenge by Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendation for District 3.)
Fresno City Council District 6: There’s a runoff for the Fresno County District 6 seat representing northeast Fresno between the top two vote-getters in the March 5 primary: Marine reservist/pilot Nick Richardson and attorney Roger Bonakdar. Incumbent Garry Bredefeld is term-limited from seeking re-election.
VIDEO: Fresno Unified School District board of trustees: Three seats on the Fresno Unified school board are up for election on Nov. 5, all contested. (Click on candidate names in Fresno and Clovis unified races to read a profile and extensive Q and A)
- Area 2, incumbent trustee Elizabeth “Rosas” Jonasson is challenged by student Joseph Aquino.
- Area 5, incumbent trustee Andy Levine is challenged by James Martinez, currently a member of the Fresno County Board of Education, and teacher/mother Emma Villa.
- Area 6, incumbent trustee Claudia Cazares is challenged by retired educator Daniel Bordona.
Clovis Unified School District board of trustees: Two seats on the Clovis Unified board are up for election, one of which has no incumbent in the race. Area 5 trustee Steven Fogg and Area 7 trustee Yolanda Moore are unopposed and those races are not on the ballot. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendations in the Clovis Unified School District.)
- Area 2: With no incumbent in the race, the candidates are mother and author Molly DeFrank, educator and executive director Wilma Tom Hashimoto, and educator Janet S. Kardashian.
- Area 4: Incumbent trustee Hugh Awtrey is challenged by behavior analyst Gina Vue.
Central Unified School District board of trustees: Two seats on the Central Unified board are up for election, each with an incumbent trustee facing a challenger. (See The Bee’s editorial recommendations in the Central Unified School District.)
- Area 3: Incumbent Phillip Cervantes is challenged by educator Natalie Chavez.
- Area 5: Incumbent Richard A. Solis is challenged by Jaspreet Sidhu, a registered nurse.
State Center Community College District: One seat is up for election on the governing board that oversees Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College and an Oakhurst center. Area 2 incumbent trustee Nasreen Michelle Johnson is challenged by workforce development leader Pablo Villagrana.
Other Fresno County cities: Among smaller cities across the county, seats for mayor are up for election in Kerman, Sanger and Selma, and city council seats are contested in Fowler, Mendota, Orange Cove, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin and Selma. In other cities, there are seats that are uncontested with only one candidate appearing on the ballot. Those include Clovis, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Huron, Kerman, Reedley and Sanger. Voters in the cities of Sanger and Coalinga are being asked to extend existing sales tax supplements — Measure R for public safety in Sanger and Measure J for general city purposes in Coalinga.
Other Fresno County school districts: Trustee positions are up for election in the West Hills Community College District, Caruthers Unified School District, Coalinga-Huron Unified School District, Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, Golden Plains Unified School District, Kerman Unified School District, Mendota Unified School District, Parlier Unified School District, Sanger Unified School District, Selma Unified School District, Sierra Unified School District, Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary School District, Raisin City Elementary School District and the West Park Elementary School District.
Fresno County special districts: Among special districts with races on the Nov. 5 ballot are the Biola Community Services District, Kingsburg Health Care District, Laguna Irrigation District, Orange Cove Fire District, Orange Cove Police District, Riverdale Public Utility District, and Selma Health Care District.
School bonds, in alphabetical order
A dozen school districts, including the State Center Community College District, are asking voters to approve general obligation bonds that would increase property tax assessments to pay for improvements for facilities and other needs. Collectively, those proposals would add up to more than $2 billion. (Click here for The Bee’s recommendation on $900 million in bonds on the ballot for Fresno and Clovis schools)
- Measure A - Clovis Unified School District: A $400 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure C - West Hills Community College District (includes part of neighboring San Benito and Monterey counties): A $19 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure D - Dinuba Unified School District (mostly in neighboring Tulare County): A $42 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure F - Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District (includes part of neighboring Madera County): A $25 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure H - Fresno Unified School District: A $500 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure K - Kingsburg Joint Union High School District (includes part of neighboring Kings and Tulare counties): A $20 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure M - Sanger Unified School District: A $175 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure P - Parlier Unified School District: A $14.1 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure Q - State Center Community College District: A $698 million bond that requires a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure U - Sierra Unified School District: a $24.15 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure X - Central Unified School District: A $109 million bond requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
Sales tax measures, in alphabetical order
- Measure J - City of Coalinga: A proposal to extend the expiration date to April 1, 2039, for an existing 1% sales tax for general city services. It requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure R - City of Sanger: A measure to extend an existing 0.75% sales tax to provide funds for police and fire services until voters decide to end the tax. The measure requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure Y - City of Clovis: A measure to impose a new 1% sales tax to cover the cost of public safety and other city services. It requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
Other city or community measures, in alphabetical order
- Measure N - Fig Garden Fire Protection District: A proposal to increase the size of the district’s board of directors from three to five members. The district encompasses some of the Old Fig Garden district, an unincorporated county island encompassed within the city of Fresno. The measure requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure T - City of Selma: A measure to establish limits of two two-year terms for mayor and two four-year terms for city council. It requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure V - City of Firebaugh: A measure to make the position of city clerk, currently an elected post, to an appointed position. It requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure W - City of Firebaugh: A measure to make the position of city treasurer, currently an elected post, to an appointed position. It requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
- Measure Z - City of Huron: A measure to change the term of office for mayor to four years from the existing two-year term.
- Measure BB - Ashlan-Hayes 2, 3, 4 annexation in west-central Fresno: A measure for about 140 acres of an unincorporated Fresno County island along Ashlan Avenue between Bryan and Polk avenues into the city of Fresno. The measure requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to pass.
OTHER VALLEY COUNTIES
Fresno County’s neighboring counties also have plenty on the ballot to decide. Here’s a summary of what voters will face.
Kings County
Kings County Board of Supervisors, District 5: Candidates are Kings County Undersheriff Robert Thayer and Kings County Board of Education member Adam Medeiros.
City council seats: City council seats are up for election in Hanford, Avenal and Lemoore.
School boards: School boards across the county have seats up for election: Kings County Board of Education, Tulare County Board of Education (includes part of Tulare County), College of the Sequoias, Hanford Joint Union High School District, Armona Union Elementary School District, Central Union Elementary School District, Lemoore Union Elementary School District, Waukena Joint Union Elementary School District (includes part of Tulare County), and Reef-Sunset Unified School District. The Reef-Sunset District also has three recalls on the ballot which, if passed, would remove trustees from office i Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3.
Special districts: Special districts with seats up for election in Kings County are: Kettleman City Community Services District, Kingsburg Health Care District (includes parts of Fresno and Tulare counties), Laguna Irrigation District, and Kings County Water District.
School bonds: In addition to Measure Q for the State Center Community College District, primarily in Fresno County, five school districts either entirely or partially in Kings County have bond measures on the ballot which would increase property tax assessments to pay for improvements for facilities and other needs.
- Measure A – Armona Union Elementary School District: A bond issue of up to $9 million requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure E – Tulare Joint Union High School District (includes part of Tulare County): A bond issue of $80 million requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure K – Kingsburg Joint Union High School District (includes part of Fresno and Tulare counties): Authorizes a bond issue of up to $20 million requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure L – Laton Joint Unified School District: A bond issue of up to $9.7 million requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure U – Hanford Elementary School District: A bond issue of up to $23 million requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
Other bond measures
- Measure B – City of Avenal: Authorzing a vacancy tax on unused or unoccupied commercial spaces and uninhabited residences; setting the city’s transient occupancy tax at 15%; and creating a progressive rate structure for business license taxes. It requires a simple majority vote of 50% plus one to pass.
- Measure H – City of Hanford: Enacting a 1% sales and use tax in the city of Hanford to support essential city services including police, fire, 911 emergency response, neighborhood police patrols, crime prevention, maintenance of city streets and parks, address homelessness, improve programs for youths and seniors, job retention and other general city services. It requires a simple majority vote of 50% plus one to pass.
- Measure S – City of Lemoore: Enacting a 1% sales tax to support services such as 911 emergency response, police patrols, fire services, street and crosswalk repair, parks and recreation programs and business attraction and retention. It requires a simple majority vote of 50% plus one to pass.
Madera County
City of Madera: The office of mayor and two seats on the Madera City Council are up for election on the November ballot.
City of Chowchilla: The office of mayor in Chowchilla is on the ballot with two candidates.
School boards: School boards with trustee seats up for election in Madera County include: Madera Unified School District, Firebaugh Las Deltas Unified School District, Golden Valley Unified School District, Yosemite Unified School District, and Bass Lake Union Elementary School District.
Special districts: A special district, the Madera Irrigation District, has two board seats up for election.
Ballot measures
In addition to the State Center Community College District’s Measure Q and Measure F for the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, two other measures are on the ballot in Madera County:
- Measure N - City of Chowchilla: An extension of the city’s 1% sales tax for pubic safety services, requiring a two-thirds majority (66.67%) to pass.
- Measure T - County of Madera: An extension of the county’s current half-cent sales tax for transportation projects for 20 years starting in 2027, requiring a simple majority vote of 50% plus one to pass.
Merced County
City of Merced – The office of mayor and three seats on the Merced City Council are up for election in November.
Other Merced County cities – Avenal: two city council seats, and city clerk and city treasurer; Dos Palos: mayor and two city council seats; Gustine: mayor and two city council seats; Livingston: mayor and two city council seats, and city clerk and city treasurer; Los Banos: mayor, two city council seats, and city treasurer.
School districts – School districts with contested seats up for election are: two seats on the Merced County Board of Education; three seats on the Merced Union High School District board; two seats on the Merced City Elementary School District; three seats on the Delhi Unified School District board; two seats on the Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District board; one seat on the Gustine Unified School District board; one seat on the Hilmar Unified School District board; one seat on the Los Banos Unified School District board; three seats on the Le Grand Union HIgh School District board; and two seats on the Planada Elementary School District board.
Special districts: Special districts with director seats up for election in November are the Midway Community Services District; the Planada Community Services District; the Winton Water & Sanitary District; the Delhi County Water District; the Santa Nella County Water District; the Westside Healthcare District, Zone 1; and the Central California Irrigation District, Division 2 and Division 3.
Local ballot measures: Ballot measures to be decided by voters in Merced County are:
Tulare County
City of Visalia – Two seats on the Visalia City Council are up for election.
Other Tulare County cities – Dinuba: One city council seat; Exeter, two city council seats; Farmersville: one city council seat; Lindsay: one city council seat; Porterville: two city council seats; Tulare: one city council seat; Woodlake: one city council seat.
School boards – School districts with contested seats up for election are: two seats on the Tulare County Board of Education; one seat on the College of the Sequoias board; one seat on the Kern Community College District board; one seat in the Alpaugh Unified School District; two seats in the Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District; one seat in the Farmersville Unified School District; one seat in the Visalia Unified School District; one seat in the Dinuba Unified School District; two seats in the Porterville Unified School District; one seat in the Exeter Unified School District; one seat in the Delano Joint Union High School District; one seat in the Alta Vista Elementary School District; one seat in the Hope Elementary School District; two seats in the Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary School District; one seat in the Pixley Union Elementary School District; one east in the Richgrove Elementary School District; one seat in the Springville Union Elementary School District; one short-term seat in the Terry Bella Union Elementary School District; one seat in the Waukena Joint Union Elementary School District (includes part of Kings County; and three seats in the Woodlake Unified School District.
Special districts – Special districts with seats up for election are the Popular Community Services District; Sultana Community Services District; Orange Cove Fire Protection District; Kingsburg Tri-County Healthcare District; North Kern-South Tulare Health Care District; Sierra View Local Health Care District; Alpaugh Irrigation District; Exeter Irrigation District; Porterville Irrigation District; Terra Bella Irrigation District; Dinuba Memorial District; Tulare Memorial District; and the Orosi Public Utilities District.
Local ballot measures – In addition to the State Center Community College District’s Measure Q, primarily in Fresno County, nine school districts either entirely or partially in Tulare County have bond measures on the ballot to increase property tax assessment to pay for improvements for facilities and other needs. The City of Visalia also has a measure to enact a tax on cannabis businesses.
- Measure D – Dinuba Unified School District: AS $42 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure E – Tulare Joint Union High School District: An $80 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure G – Burton Elementary School District: A $7.1 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure H – Earlimart Elementary School District: A $8.5 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure I – Exeter Unified School District: A $26.6 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure J – Pleasant View Elementary School District: A $3 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure K – Kingsburg Joint Union High School District (includes parts of Kings and Fresno counties): A $20 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure L – Sequoia Union Elementary School District: A $3.4 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure M – Ducor Elementary School District: A $2.9 million bond issue requiring a 55% majority vote to pass.
- Measure O – City of Visalia: Authorizes a tax on cannabis businesses of up to 10% of gross receipts or up to $10 per square foot for commercial cannabis cultivation, if at some point state law mandates or the city approves operation of such businesses. It requires a simple majority vote of 50% plus one to pass.
HOW TO VOTE
WHEN CAN I VOTE? Even though Election Day officially isn’t until Nov. 5, once you receive your ballot in the mail you’ll be able to vote right away, starting on Oct. 7.
WHERE’S MY BALLOT? Every registered voter will receive a ballot in the mail. On Oct. 7, county elections officials began mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all active voters. Ballots were mailed between Sept. 6 and Sept. 21 to registered Fresno County voters who are in the military or overseas. If you have not received your ballot by Oct. 14, call the Fresno County Elections office at 559-600-8683. The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot from the Election Division of the Fresno County Clerk-Registrar of Voters is Oct. 29.
NEED TO REGISTER? If you are not yet registered to vote, and you’re 18 or older on Election Day, you have until Oct. 21 to register by mail or online at the California Secretary of State’s voter registration website at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration.
WHERE DO I VOTE? You’ve probably read or heard about certain other states where voting can sometimes be a challenge. Fresno County is a Voters Choice Act county, and voters have several options to cast their ballot:
- You can return your ballot by U.S. mail sealed in the envelope that is provided. If you mail your ballot back, it must be postmarked no later than Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and received by Nov. 12.
- The Fresno County Elections Division will have secure drop-off boxes located throughout Fresno and in communities across the county where voters can return their ballots, sealed in the provided envelope (be sure to sign the envelope) from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5. There are 36 drop boxes in Fresno, eight in Clovis, and 23 others located in communities across Fresno County. A map of drop boxes is available online.
- As a Voters Choice Act county, Fresno County will have 10 early-voting centers open from Oct. 26 through Nov. 5, including weekends. Another 43 four-day voting centers will be open from Nov. 2 through Nov. 5. Both the 11-day and 4-day voting centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Vote-by-mail ballots in their sealed, signed envelope can also be dropped off at the vote centers. A map of voting centers is available online.
STATEWIDE BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
Ten statewide measures will confront voters on the Nov. 6 ballot. They are:
- Proposition 2 - Bonds for public school and community college facilities. Prop. 2 would authorize $10 million in general obligation fonds for repairs, upgrades and construction of facilities at public schools, community colleges an career technical education programs. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 2.)
- Proposition 3 - Constitutional right to marriage. If passedi the measure would remove language in California’s state Constitution stating that marriage is only between a man and a woman. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 3.)
- Proposition 4 - Climate change bonds. This measure would authorize issuance of $10 million in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention and protection of communities and lands. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 4.)
- Proposition 5 - Voter requirements for housing and infrastructure bonds. Prop. 5 is a proposed amendment to the state Consititution which would allow voters to approve local infrastructure and housing bonds for low- and middle-income residents with a 55% majority vote. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 5.)
- Proposition 6 - Abolishing involuntary servitude in jails and prisons. This is a proposed state Constitutional amendment removing rules that allow forced inmate labor in jails and prisons. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 6.)
- Proposition 32 - Raises minimum wage. If approved, Proposition 32 would increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour in 2025 for large employers and in 2026 for small businesses. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 32.)
- Proposition 33 - Rent control for local governments. This measure would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which now prohibits local ordinances limiting initial residential rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existint tenants in certain residential properties. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation for Proposition 33.)
- Proposition 34 - Federal prescription drug revenue mandate. If approved, Proposition 34 would require certain health care providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug programs on direct patient care; it also authorizes statewide negotiation of Medi-Cal drug prices.
- Proposition 35 - Permanent tax on health plans to fund Medi-Cal. Proposition 35, if approved by voters, would make permanent an existing tax on managed health care insurance plans. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 35.)
- Proposition 36 - Increased punishment for theft and drug offenses. If approved by voters, this measure would allow felony charges for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if the defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions. (See The Bee’s editorial board recommendation on Proposition 36.)
This story was originally published October 6, 2024 at 3:07 PM.
