In a dramatic twist just before midnight Tuesday, Marine reserve officer Nick Richardson pulled ahead of attorney Roger Bonakdar after trailing most of the night.
The race remained too close to call early Wednesday: Richardson had 50.38% of votes while Bonakdar had 49.41%.
Bonakdar was considered the favorite to win the northeastern seat on the Fresno City Council, pulling in more money and big-ticket endorsements.
In an interview late Tuesday with Fresnoland, a surprised Richardson said he was thrilled with the sudden reversal late in the evening.
"I'm just honored. I'm excited,” Richardson said. “The fact that we are this close, even when we were shortly behind, because what we're up against, it is the establishment. It is a tried and true recipe to get someone elected to an office, run by the city itself."
Bonakdar could not immediately be reached for comment after the third round of ballots dropped late on election night.
Earlier in the evening at his packed campaign party at the Press Box Sports Grill, Bonakdar told Fresnoland that despite the endorsements and funding he had secured, he never fully realized the extent of the support he would receive until it came through.
“The community wanted someone who can provide real service," said Bonakdar. "Someone who would do what’s right for the city.”
Jonasson Rosas sails to victory in Fresno Unified race
The race to represent the Roosevelt High area on the Fresno Unified School Board is over.
Incumbent Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas cruised to victory over her opponent, 19-year-old Joseph Aquino.
Jonasson Rosas declared victory late Tuesday, thanking her supporters and looking to the “important work ahead,” including the search for a new permanent superintendent to lead the district.
“The experience that I bring to the table has been ratified to be valued by the community,” she said, “and I’ll bring that to the table in ensuring that the values and vision of the community are reflected in the decisions that Fresno Unified makes.”
Aquino acknowledged disappointment Tuesday, but said he was proud of his campaign.
“It's extremely unfortunate that we lost this race, but I can say that I am extremely proud of the work that we have done,” Aquino said in an interview with Fresnoland. “I think this is a stepping stone and a testament to show that young people can step up and lead and be a voice for the community.”
With two rounds of ballots tabulated just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jonasson Rosas held a commanding lead, capturing nearly 70% of the vote.
Jonasson Rosas, 40, was first elected to the school board in 2016, replacing her husband, Luis Chavez, who left the board after his election to the Fresno City Council.
Chavez holds lead over Quintero in supervisors race
Jonasson Rosas and Chavez — who was also on the ballot Tuesday — held joint campaign celebrations at their Fresno home. As of late Tuesday, Chavez also held a lead in his race for the Board of Supervisors, but was not ready to declare victory.
“I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and doing a lot of the hard work that needs to happen at the county,” Chavez said in an interview with Fresnoland.
On the other side, Quintero spoke calmly about the initial results, saying he was optimistic about continuing to see votes roll in.
“We feel good; we're down a little bit, but we're optimistic,” Quintero told Fresnoland.
Levine appears poised for victory
Fresno High incumbent Trustee Andy Levine also held a large lead on election night.
Levine, one of two incumbents targeted by the Fresno Teachers Association, said he was pleased with the early results, but said it was too soon to celebrate.
“I'm not celebrating yet,” Levine said, “but I'm definitely celebrating the people that supported me.”
However, Claudia Cázares , the Hoover High incumbent, was trailing in her bid for re-election behind challenger Dan Bordona, a retired teacher. Cázares told Fresnoland she was still pleased with the early returns and looking forward to counting the remaining votes.
Bredefeld's lead over Brandau growing
According to initial polling in the race for the Board of Supervisors District 2, challenger Garry Bredefeld held a commanding lead over incumbent Steve Brandau.
Speaking with reporters at his campaign party late Tuesday, Bredefeld stopped short of declaring victory, saying more ballots still needed to be counted, but the mood was celebratory as the second round of ballots dropped just before 10 p.m. He held just under 57% of the vote to Brandau’s roughly 43%.
“The good old boy club just ended tonight,” Bredefeld said at his campaign party late Tuesday. “I'm going to address the fact that they have their salaries tied to judges. They shouldn't be tied to judges... they're done by noon, they don't work very hard.”
A good night for local school bonds
Measure H, the $500 million Fresno Unified school bond, appeared to pick up momentum as the evening went on, holding just over 60% support.
Clovis Unified’s $400 million school bond — Measure A — was teetering on the edge of rejection, at 54.96%. It needs 55% to pass. On the other hand, Clovis voters showed strong support for Measure Y, the city’s public safety sales tax proposal.
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