What's at stake:
Fresno City Council District 6 includes the northernmost stretches of Fresno, mostly east of Highway 41, encompassing the Woodward Park, Copper River, and Hoover High communities.
The tight race for the northeastern seat on the Fresno City Council persisted Friday, but the candidate once considered the race’s underdog saw his small lead grow once again.
Since emerging from election with a surprise lead, Nick Richardson has seen his lead over Roger Bonakdar grow consistently, if incrementally, with each subsequent update from the Fresno County Clerk’s Office.
As of Friday, Richardson held 51.35% of the vote to Bonakdar’s 48.56%, a margin of 849 votes. Around 13,000 ballots remain uncounted on Friday but another update is expected Monday.
Bonakdar was widely regarded as the frontrunner, bolstered by significant establishment funding and high-profile endorsements from both labor unions and business organizations.
In an interview late Friday with Fresnoland, Richardson said he continues to feel “cautiously optimistic” as “the more ballots that come in, the more accurate a picture we feel we’re getting of the voters of District 6 and what they’re looking for.”
“If we win, our celebration will be just like the watch party, it’ll be more of a thank you for our volunteers, the fantastic work of the poll workers, my family, and everybody who’s had a part to play in this,” said Richardson. “We really wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all those people. But as soon as the results are final, I’ll be focused on what the next step is, what we can get done, and how we can work for District 6.”
When asked if he thinks he’ll know by Monday whether he’s won the seat, Richardson said, “We won’t know for sure until it’s certified, or until my opponent’s camp calls us and tells us.”
Bonakdar did not immediately respond for comment.
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