How Fresno County’s latest election returns affect close city, school bond races
Thursday afternoon's update of vote results in Fresno County from the Nov. 5 general election offered more clarity on local races that had razor-thin margins following an Election Night that saw tens of thousands of ballots yet to be counted.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Fresno County had counted about 16,000 additional votes, but that leaves an estimated 99,450 ballots to process and count. That figure does not include any ballots postmarked by Election Day that have not yet been delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Those ballots will be counted if they arrive by Nov. 12.
In Fresno City Council District 6 representing northwest Fresno, candidates Nick Richardson and Roger Bonakdar remain in a close contest, separated by 259 votes out of more than 23,000 votes counted so far. Richardson, a business owner and Marine Corps Reserve officer, had 11,658 votes, or 50.5%, by Thursday evening, compared to Bonakdar, a local attorney, who had amassed 11,399 votes, or 49.4%.
Both are first-time candidates running to replace term-limited City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, who is wrapping up his second four-year term.
Clovis Unified School District Measure A
Clovis Unified School District administrators are closely watching the results on Measure A, a $400 million school bond. As of Tuesday night, the measure was a scant 25 votes shy of the 55% majority needed for passage. By Thursday's update, Measure A had gained ground, pulling in 40,538 "yes" votes amounting to 55.47% – only 344 votes ahead of what's needed to succeed by the time all ballots are processed and the election certified. There were 32,542 people who voted against the measure, about 44.53%.
The money is planned to modernize school facilities and improve campus safety and technology. Clovis Unified leaders said they needed to pass the bond to finish construction of the new Clovis South High School.
Not counting any of the untabulated ballots that may yet be tallied from within the Clovis Unified district, fewer than half of the district's approximately 149,000 registered voters cast ballots in the contest.
Clovis Unified School District Board, Area 2
Tuesday night saw the two top vote-getters in the contest for the Area 2 seat on the Clovis Unified School District Board of Trustees separated by 168 votes, leaving in doubt whether parenting author Molly DeFrank or nonprofit youth advocate director Wilma Tom Hashimoto will fill the seat now held by DeFrank's husband, David. David DeFrank did not seek re-election.
In Thursday's update, Molly DeFrank's slender lead over Hashimoto shrank while Janet S. Kardashian, a retired teacher, trailed in the three-person race. DeFrank's new total is 4,547 votes or 40.8%, while Hashimoto has garnered 4,495 votes or 40.4% – a margin of just 52 votes. Kardashian's votes so far amount to 2,075 or 18.6%.
There remains little doubt in the other Clovis Unified seat up for election in Area 4, where incumbent trustee Hugh Awtrey, an insurance broker, continues to lead his challenger, clinician Gina Vue, 6,668 to 4,139.
State Center Community College District Measure Q
Measure Q on the Nov. 5 ballot is a proposed $698 million bond measure to upgrade facilities at the State Center Community College District's campuses, and improve education programs for nursing, firefighting, police officers, agriculture, manufacturing and vocational training.
The district includes Fresno City College and its new West Fresno center, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College and a center in Oakhurst, and covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties.
Unofficial results updated Thursday afternoon across the four counties show Measure Q with 127,690 "yes" votes, or 53.6%. But that's less than the 55% majority needed to pass. So far, 110,651 voters, or 46.4%, said no to the measure.
The remaining volume of unprocessed ballots throughout the district could still have a bearing on the results for Measure Q. In addition to Fresno County's uncounted ballots, Madera County election officials estimate that they have almost 18,000 ballots yet to process and count. Kings and Tulare counties have not yet reported their estimates of unprocessed ballots as of Thursday afternoon.
Thursday's update in Fresno County also provided more results for contests in smaller cities across the region, some of which were hanging in the balance with just a few votes separating candidates for city council seats.
Fowler City Council: In at large voting, three incumbents are leading for three available seats as of Wednesday morning: Juan Mejia, Karnig Ronald Kazarian and Daniel Parra. But the candidate currently in fourth place, Patric Jones, lags Parra by just 22 votes out of almost 4,300 votes cast and counted so far.
Vote tallies were 814 for Mejia, 702 for Kazarian, 688 for Parra and 666 for Jones. Trailing those four are Mark Rodriquez with 504, Luis F. Damian with 498, and C. Teresa Vega de Cabrera, 420votes.
Mendota City Council: Six candidates are vying for two at-large seats, with one incumbent running outside the top two on Wednesday.
Challenger Jesus "Jesse" Mendoza led the field with 394 votes, followed by incumbent Jose Alonzo with 341. Challenger Jose Lupe Gallardo has 315 votes, followed by incumbent Oscar Rosales with 312 votes. Lagging the field are Moses Macias at 166 votes and Christian Cruz with 103 votes.
One short-term council seat in Mendota is also relatively close. Incumbent Joseph Riofrio leads with 367 votes, ahead of Juan G. Ledesma at 335 votes and Veronica Gill with 251 votes.
Parlier City Council: In both the District 1 and District 3 seats, only a few votes separates the first and second place candidates.
In District 1, incumbent Sabrina Rodriguez holds a four-vote advantage over Juan M. Montano, 148 votes to 144. A third candidate, Fernando Banuelos, has 123 votes as of Thursday afternoon.
In District 3, three candidates are separated by only six votes. Incumbent Cathryn "Kathy" Solorio now has a narrow two-vote lead over Claudia Vera, 100 votes to 98 votes. Another challenger, Alfred Gonzales has 94 votes. A fourth candidate, Michelle H. Lopez, trails with 70 votes.
San Joaquin City Council: There's a tight race for the third of three available at-large seats. Challenger Rosa Maria Ramirez is the top vote-getter so far with 211 votes, followed by incumbent Abel Lua at 154 votes.
For the third seat, incumbent Julia Hernandez has only a three-vote advantage over challenger Maria Cristina Covarrubia, 124 votes to 121 votes. A fifth candidate, Amarpreet "Ruby" Dhaliwal, trails with 105 votes.
