Fresno Unified incumbent pulls off last-second win in tightly contested Hoover High race

In a stunning comeback, Fresno Unified School Board incumbent Claudia Cazares secured a buzzer-beating victory over teachers union-backed challenger Dan Bordona on Tuesday night, winning by 93 votes as the final ballots were counted.

After trailing for nearly a month in the hotly contested Hoover High area race, Cazares emerged victorious with 7,245 votes (50.32%) to Bordona’s 7,152 (49.68%), according to final results released by the Fresno County Clerk’s office.

“Zero votes are left to count,” Fresno County election clerk James Kus confirmed Tuesday. The clerk’s office completed processing the remaining ballots before publishing the results Tuesday evening.

Cazares could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

In northeast Fresno’s City Council District 6, political newcomer Nick Richardson maintained his surprising lead over Roger Bonakdar, finishing with 16,575 votes (51.54%) to Bonakdar’s 15,585 (48.46%).

Richardson, who prevailed despite being heavily outspent, is already looking ahead to taking office in January. He plans to kick off his term with a symbolic gesture carrying the names of District 6 residents.

“On inauguration day, which would be January 7, we’re kicking off our time in City Hall by printing up the name of every single resident of District 6, sticking it in my Marine Corps-issued rucksack, and we are walking from District 6 all the way to City Hall,” Richardson said. “It should be a 17-18 mile walk.”

Richardson hopes that as many residents join him as possible.

Richardson has also outlined ambitious plans for public safety personnel retention, including a novel childcare program for police and firefighters that he says would be the first of its kind.

“We’re trying to organize locally-controlled educational organizations, from preschool all the way up through graduate degrees for children of first responders and veterans,” Richardson explained. The program, which he’s calling the “Friends PAC,” would involve partnerships with private schools and childcare centers rather than taxpayer funding. A major squeeze on parents, Richardson said, is the cost of pre-k childcare.

In other closely watched races, three major school bond measures all crossed the 55% threshold needed for approval. Fresno Unified’s $500 million Measure H passed with 64.48% support, while Central Unified’s $109 million Measure X received 64.20% approval. Clovis Unified’s $400 million bond measure, which had teetered near the required threshold in early returns, finished comfortably ahead at 57.64%.

The final results will be certified after the clerk’s office completes its standard post-election procedures and documentation, said Kus.

“The fancier version, what we call the statement of vote, where we break stuff down by precinct and all types of fun stuff like that, that may actually roll over to tomorrow.”