What's at stake?
With only two months remaining until ballots start getting sent out over the mail, it's time for Fresno's voters to get familiar with this year's candidates on the ballot. Here are the candidates on the June 2, 2026 primary election ballot
If the slow, but steadily increasing amount of political ads hitting your TV screens, mailboxes and smartphones didn’t give it away, the country is rapidly approaching the thick of election season.
The final extension deadline for local races on the June 2 primary election passed on Wednesday. That means Fresno voters can finally start to get a less muddled view of a crowded field of candidates in this year’s election cycle.
The Fresno City Council and Fresno County Board of Supervisors have races in the June primary election. Local residents will have a chance to drastically change the makeup of their local elected bodies, with many elected officials expected to term out or leave for different positions.
For all of the following races, a candidate can win their seat outright if they win over 50% of the vote. If all fail to do so, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in a run-off election during the November 3, 2026 general election.
Here’s a look at both city and county races on the ballot in June.
A comprehensive list of the June 2, 2026 primary election can also be seen here.
FRESNO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 — West Central Fresno
The District 1 Fresno City Council seat is currently held by Annalisa Perea.
She has been serving as councilmember since 2023. Although she is still eligible for reelection, Perea has chosen to pursue the California Assembly District 31 seat.
That will leave the seat without an incumbent on the ballot. The candidates for the seat, in alphabetical order, are:
- Monte Forkas, a small business owner
- Robert Fuentes, an educator and trustee for the State Center Community College District
- Joe Hinojosa, an accessibility coordinator for the City of Fresno
- Naindeep Singh, a trustee for the Central Unified School Board District, and the director of Jakara Movement
FRESNO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 — Southwest Fresno
The District 3 Fresno City Council seat is currently held by Miguel Arias.
He has been serving on the council seat since 2019. Arias will hit his two-term limit this year, meaning he is not eligible for re-election.
That will leave the seat without an incumbent on the ballot. In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Joaquin Arambula, a doctor and California Assemblymember for District 31
- Larry Tyrone Burrus, an engineering contractor
- Charles Montoya
- Fernando Alvarez Morales, a small business manager
- Jalen Swank, an administrative case worker with the Fresno County Department of Public Health
- Keshia Thomas, trustee for the Fresno Unified School Board
- Tiffany Apodaca, a crisis response manager for the Marjaree Mason Center
FRESNO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 — Southeast Fresno
The District 5 Fresno City Council seat is currently held by Brandon Vang.
He has held the council seat since April 2025, serving the remainder of then-councilmember Luis Chavez’s term following his election to the county board of supervisors.
In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Jose Leon Barraza, a business manager
- Danielle Parra, a businesswoman and trustee for the State Center Community College District
- Brandon Vang, Fresno City Councilmember for District 5
- Nickolas Wildstar, an entrepreneur
FRESNO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7 — East Central Fresno
The District 7 Fresno City Council seat is currently held by Nelson Esparza.
He has been serving in the council seat since 2019. Esparza will hit his two-term limit this year, meaning he is not eligible for reelection.
That will leave the seat without an incumbent on the ballot. In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Nav Gurm, an attorney and small businessman
- Jason J. Keomanee
- Ariana Martinez Lott, a small business owner
- AJ Rassamni, a businessman
FRESNO COUNTY SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 1 — West Fresno County
The District 1 Fresno County Board Of Supervisors seat is currently held by Brian Pacheco.
He has been serving on the county board seat since 2015. There are no term limits for the county board of supervisors, but Pacheco announced last year that he would pursue California Assembly District 27 seat, vacating his county board position in the process.
That will leave the seat without an incumbent on the ballot. In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Lupe Flores, a trustee for the Mendota Unified School Board
- Omar Hernandez, a farmer and trustee for the West Hills Community College District
- Mike Karbassi, Fresno City Council President
- Maria Pacheco, Mayor of Kerman
- Eric Payne, A local business owner and the executive director of The Central Valley Urban Institute
- Felipe Perez, a Firebaugh City Councilmember
FRESNO COUNTY SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 4 — Southwest Fresno County
The District 4 Fresno County Board Of Supervisors seat is currently held by Buddy Mendes.
He has been serving on the board since 2015. There are no term limits for the county board of supervisors, but Mendes announced last year that he would be retiring at the end of his 2026 term.
That will leave the seat without an incumbent on the ballot. In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Alma Beltran, Mayor Of Parlier
- Rey Leon, Mayor of Huron
- Margaret Mims, retired Fresno Sheriff
- Narinder “Nick” Sahota, a farmer, businessman and trustee for the Selma Unified School Board
- Charlie Soto, a tax auditor
The Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
The county superintendent position will also be on the ballot this June. The superintendent oversees the county’s 32 school districts and charter schools.
Michelle Cantwell-Copher will run for reelection. She won her primary election outright in 2022 with 64.2% of the vote.
In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates for the seat are:
- Johnny H. Alvarado, the assistant superintendent for the Parlier Unified School District
- Michelle Cantwell-Copher, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
- Eimar O’Brien, a businesswoman, the former superintendent of the Clovis Unified School District, and former interim superintendent Central Unified School District
Look ahead to the Nov. 3 general election
On top of the run-off elections from June’s primary, Fresno voters will also vote for a number of positions in the November general election. The candidates for these elections only need a plurality of the votes to get elected.
However, the filing deadline for most of these races are still open.
Many seats in the state assembly and senate will be up for grabs in November.
Most of the seats in the Fresno Unified School District’s Board Of Trustees are up for grabs this year. They all come with incumbents backing them.
One of the biggest issues that will come before Fresnans on the November ballot will be the competing transportation measures. If one gets approved it would replace Measure C — the county’s soon-to-expire half-cent tax that helped fund many transit projects in the region.
The Better Roads Safe Streets plan is backed largely by transportation advocates and local elected leaders that were part of the original Measure C renewal committees.
The Fix Our Roads plan is largely backed by a splinter group of elected leaders from those renewal committees that felt the now-defunct Measure C renewal plan did not allocate enough money toward road maintenance and improvements.
The county is also looking into introducing their own general tax to help fund transportation projects. An update on that work is scheduled for the March 17 Fresno County Board Of Supervisors meeting.
