What's at stake?
District 7 Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza is termed out at the end of this year. Voters in the district — which covers portions from central, south and east Fresno — will select who will be the new face to represent them.
Two former City Hall staffers are vying for the District 7 Fresno City Council seat. The winner could be part of a potential wave of change for local politics, as at least three of the seven Fresno City Councilmembers will be replaced at the end of this year.
Nav Gurm, 26, is an attorney and political consultant. He also worked at City Hall in the office of current District 7 Councilmember Nelson Esparza. Gurm finished first in the June primary election.
Ariana Martinez Lott, 39, is a community organizer and small business owner. She also worked in City Hall in the office of current District 3 Councilmember Miguel Arias. Lott finished second in June.
Just 20 votes separated the candidates in June. Gurm won 3,099 votes, and Lott won 3,079.
The winning candidate between Gurm and Lott will replace Esparza, a Democrat, who is termed out at the end of this year. Nelson Esparza is running for the District 1 seat in the California Board of Equalization against Republican Shannon Grove.
Read more about where the two candidates, ordered alphabetically by last name, stand on several issues in our guide below. You can revisit what positions the candidates shared previously while on the campaign trail in our June 2026 primary election guide.
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Nav Gurm | Ariana Martinez Lott
Nav Gurm
- Job: Attorney and political consultant
- Age: 26
- Residency: Born in New Jersey. Gurm moved to Fresno County in the 4th grade. He moved to the City of Fresno after college.
- Notable Endorsements: United States Sen. Adam Schiff, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno County Democratic Party, Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Fresno Police Officers’ Association
What does he think about the city’s contract with Flock, and license plate readers overall?
Gurm said he has concerns with engaging in public surveillance as a tool for public safety, and that he hopes the city chooses not to renew its contract with Flock.
“I get why it’s a tool for law enforcement, but I do have some concerns,” Gurm said. “I’m not interested in the continuation of our current Flock contract.”
License plate readers are not new technology. However, companies like Flock have begun to use artificial intelligence to augment these devices in different ways.
One such way in particular, in helping law enforcement track people in real time, has drawn increased attention and criticism across the country. Gurm said the use of Flock cameras is “a Fourth Amendment concern for me.”
“It’s a very cutting edge legal policy area,” Gurm said. “There’s not much case law for Flock cameras and potential violations of the Fourth Amendment. But it is something I think the courts will be speaking on in the next couple of years.”
Gurm said he’d also be against the city severing its ties with Flock, only to continue to stay in the license plate reader game with other companies, like Axon.
“It’s not something I’ve studied extensively,” Gurm said, “but for me, it’s going to be about having a broader conversation between our law enforcement experts and the local community members.”
He later added, “It’s undoubtable that Flock has helped solve crime cases. I get why there are supporters of this program, but I have too many concerns. It’s not something I would support at the moment.”
Fresno’s contract with Flock will expire later this year, barring a motion to renew from the City Hall.
What does he think of the city’s use of its HART as part of its homelessness strategy?
Gurm said he is supportive of HART. He said he believes the city should have a tool like HART readily available to address residents’ concerns with the local homeless population.
The city’s Homelessness Assistance Response Team (HART) is a unit consisting of a wide-range of city employees, like police officers and planning and development staff, that engage in outreach to the local homeless population. HART conducts many services for the city, including offering resources to the unhoused and enforcing its anti-encampment laws.
Gurm said he’s receptive to concerns some residents have with HART, and that “there’s probably potential for reform.” He said that, if elected, he would spend some time in his first 100 days doing ride-alongs with HART to get a better understanding of its outreach process.
“I think our homeless strategy needs to be aggressively getting people off the streets and indoors,” Gurm said, “so that we can start getting them connected to supportive services.”
Gurm said he’d also like to see county leadership do more to help the city address the region’s homelessness issues, particularly the use of CARE Courts.
The City and County of Fresno have spent more than a year outlining a policy that should outline each government’s responsibility.
What does he think about the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?
Gurm said there are some funding sources he could see himself supporting for SEDA, but he emphasized that any option “should pay for itself.”
“That’s the overarching line in the sand I have to see myself supporting growth anywhere,” Gurm said, “including SEDA.”
Gurm said he would not support the use of a utility savings account, or rate increases to local utilities, as a means to fund SEDA. He added that “the current revised SEDA plan, when it comes to developing South SEDA, does not meet my expectations.”
“I don’t believe at a time where we have an affordable housing crisis, an affordability crisis, that we should be raising rates on ratepayers — whether it comes from our trash rates, our water rates,” he said. “That’s not something I’m willing to entertain. Nothing that leaves the door open for that is something I can support, and that’s why I don’t support the revised SEDA plan.”
Does he support the city’s proposed moratorium on AI data centers?
Gurm said the City Council was moving in the right direction when it voted to begin the process of creating a 10-year moratorium on AI data center construction. He said he understands that the AI space will lead to some economic and labor innovations. However, the potential consequences, most notably the potential to take away water from the agricultural industry, are too much for him to support data center construction.
“I’m a very hard ‘no’ on data center construction anywhere in our region,” Gurm said, “including and especially in our county.”
Gurm also said the city should be vigilant of AI data center construction talks in neighboring cities and counties because of the potential for regional consequences. “Especially at a time when we have clean water issues in certain parts of the region,” Gurm said as one example.
What does he think about the city’s push to create a program to expand access and affordability to childcare?
Gurm said, at this time, he doesn’t support using Measure P to fund the city’s proposed childcare assistance program. He added that any potential use of those funds should first have to go back to the voters.
“It’s not a line in the sand for me, but it’s not a priority for me — utilizing those dollars,” Gurm said. “I’m not saying we should fund childcare by utilizing Measure P dollars. That’s absolutely not what I’m saying. But if that is a recommendation of that commission, it’s frankly something I would entertain.”
Gurm also said that a potential new sales tax would be difficult for him to support as a funding option. He said residents have made it clear that the current economic climate would make it hard to push costs to consumers.
“I think we’re going to have to dig deep and find some really creative solutions,” Gurm said on identifying a potential funding source. He later added that he’d like to see the city approach the state or federal government for money before considering a tax.
He also said that he has no ideas about what he would like to see the commission’s final program would look like, but that he would lean on the experts on the commission for guidance.
What is his approach to expanding the city’s affordable housing stock?
Gurm said he’d like to see the city be more proactive in approaching out-of-area developers to increase the city’s affordable housing stock. He also said he’d like to see the city get creative with connecting builders to the city.
“Let’s see what’s working in other communities,” Gurm said. “Finding a local developer who has maybe not done an affordable housing project in Fresno or anywhere before, and partner them up with an affordable housing developer who’s successfully built hundreds of units all around the state, ensuring that we have developers who can deliver on a project locally.”
Gurm said this could be a way to have the city avoid similar situations like a recent legal dispute between City Hall and the Poverello House, a local homeless services provider that has not delivered on about two dozen tiny homes following a contract with City Hall.
In particular, Gurm said he’d like to see Fresno pursue different types of new housing development, including “a focus on transit-oriented developments, creating 15-minute communities, mixed-use projects,” and, when possible, taking advantage of CEQA reforms.
How would he like to see the city revitalize its blighted and vacant buildings?
Gurm said he wants the city to expand its two pilot programs in the Tower District to places in the district like the Blackstone Corridor. He said the repair of buildings in disarray could have a positive domino effect on the neighboring community.
“When you bring back commerce, residents, mixed-use developments…you create the economic conditions where other problems seemingly start to go away,” Gurm said. He listed homeless encampments, crime and blight as examples of those problems.
How will he vote on Measure S and Measure D?
Gurm said he plans to vote for Measure S. He said he will also vote to approve the city’s proposed general tax Measure D, since it has language in it that voids the measure if Measure S is also approved.
He said he sees this is the most “pragmatic” approach.
What is his assessment of Measure P progress in arts and parks?
Gurm said he believes the city “cannot administer arts funding themselves, so it would need to go to an outside subject matter expert.”
Gurm said the city’s increase in parks and green space has been lagging. He acknowledged that Measure P was notably slow to get off the starting blocks following litigation hurdles. Still, he said he’s “underwhelmed” with the city’s construction of new parks.
“It’s something I have a yearning to see more results for,” Gurm said.
Does he support the creation of a charter and ethics commission?
Gurm said he would support the creation of a Fresno ethics commission. He pointed to the City of Los Angeles’ commission as a possible example of what Fresno can do. Among other things, the LA commission requires certain campaign mailers and communications, including text messages, to be submitted to a public city database.
Gurm said he’d also support the creation of a charter commission. He said he’d like to explore this in his first 100 days.
“It’d be a space where both subject-matter experts and local residents can bring forward recommendations,” Gurm said.
How does he think the city should approach redistricting in 2030?
Gurm said he would like to see an independent redistricting commission — one that does not give the city council final approval — be established before the next redistricting effort.
“I don’t believe in an advisory redistricting commission,” Gurm said, referring to a process where a commission would bring forward recommendations to the council, but they would have no power to enact their findings.
“Hopefully, before 2030 we can get an independent redistricting commission in place,” Gurm said, “and have those individuals ensure that politics are not influencing how lines are drawn.”
Who has endorsed Gurm?
- United States Senator Adam Schiff
- California State Controller Malia Cohen
- Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer
- Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni
- Fresno County Assessor Paul Dictos
- Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez
- Former Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea
- Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza
- Fresno City Council Vice President Tyler Maxwell
- Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea
- Fresno County Board of Education Trustee Itzi Robles
- State Center Community College District Trustee Danielle Parra
- State Center Community College District Trustee Destiny Rodriguez
- Fresno Madera Tulare Kings Central Labor Council
- Fresno Madera Tulare Kings Building Trades Council
- Fresno County Democratic Party
- Fresno County Young Democrats
- Fresno Teachers Association
- Fresno Chamber of Commerce
- Fresno City Employees Association
- Fresno City Fire Fighters Association – Local 202
- Fresno City Police Officers Association
- Ironworkers Local 155
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 104
- Operating Engineers Local 3
Who are Gurm’s top donors?
Gurm has raised about $261,608 in his bid to win the District 7 Fresno City Council election. About $75,000 has come since the June primary election.
Here are Gurm’s top 10 donors heading into November. Some entities listed have donated more than once to get to the total amount shown.
- Fresno Firefighters PAC, which has donated $15,000
- Fresno City Employees Association PAC, which has donated $11,800
- Youth Save Democracy, which has donated $11,400
- Esparza for SCCCD, which has donated $6,400
- Fresno Police Officers Association PAC, which has donated $5,900
- Central Valley Council, a PAC run by political consultant Alex Tavlian, which has donated $5,900
- Omar Hernandez for Supervisor 2026, which has donated $5,900
- Richard Spencer, president of Harris Construction, who has donated $5,900
- Pawanpreet Dhaliwal, an attorney, who has donated $5,601
- Tushar Patel, a physician, who has donated $5,503
Ariana Martinez Lott
- Job: Community organizer and small business owner
- Age: 39
- Residency: Grew up in Madera. Moved to Fresno for college and never left.
- Notable Endorsements: California Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta, Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang, Power CA Action, Fresno County Democratic Women’s Club
What does she think about the city’s contract with Flock, and license plate readers overall?
Lott opposes Flock cameras. She said the city should engage in “a robust community engagement process” before renewing the contract past its current term, which ends later this year.
Lott also said the city should drop out of the license plate reader game entirely, as opposed to just switching from Flock to another provider like Axon.
“I don’t think public safety is cultivated through mass surveillance,” Lott said. She added that she would like to see the money for a potential Flock contract renewal go toward “community public safety models” instead.
What does she think of the city’s use of its HART team as part of its homelessness strategy?
Lott said she opposed the city adding a second HART team during this summer’s budget hearings, and criticized the unit and the city’s anti-camping law for what she said amounts to criminalizing the homeless.
“We are not going to arrest ourselves out of this problem,” Lott said.
Lott said the city should invest money and resources toward the creation of a program similar to one established in Oregon, Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets. The program sees units within a police department sent to low-risk calls to respond to individuals suffering from a mental health episode. CAHOOTS employees, Lott said, are notably not armed and do not perform law enforcement duties.
Part of that program’s success, Lott said, is its ability to help connect individuals to mental health services. She said she would like to see the county pitch in more to help address gaps in local supportive services for the unhoused, like shelters and mental health resources.
What does she think about the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?
Lott said she opposes any version of SEDA. She said the city should invest in established roads and neighborhoods instead.
Lott said her resistance to SEDA stems from concerns that South SEDA, a smaller scale project than the planned 9,000-acre project, would be a gateway to further expansion in the future.
“If one council passes certain restrictions, it is very easy for a future council to make exemptions and to move away from established restrictions.” Lott said. She later added, “we have a historic opportunity to change the future of our city by saying ‘no’ to outward growth, and ‘yes’ to the neighborhoods that our families already call home.”
Lott also opposes the city pursuing a utility savings account and rate increases to utilities as a way to fund SEDA.
Does she support the city’s proposed moratorium on AI data centers?
Lott said the city’s proposed 10-year ban on AI data centers is a step in the right direction, but she would like to see more teeth added to the policy.
Specifically, Lott said she would have liked to have seen more opportunities for public engagement in the process.
Fresno announced plans to initiate a moratorium and approved the proposed policy in the span of about a week.
Lott said she would have liked to have seen the City of Fresno pursue an emergency ban on the construction of data centers, and work on a lengthier policy-crafting process in the interim.
“I would just want to make sure that what gets passed is an actual ban,” Lott said, “and not something that leaves loopholes, or room for potential exemptions.”
What does she think about the city’s push to create a program to expand access and affordability to childcare?
Lott said she opposes using Measure P to fund a citywide childcare program.
“We need to be really careful and protective of the original intention behind Measure P,” Lott said. “We cannot create a pattern of utilizing it for other purposes.”
Lott also said that, at this time, “when a lot of families are hurting financially,” she’s not ready to pursue a tax to fund the program.
“This effort is supposed to alleviate a fiscal burden, not add on to it.”
As for some ideas of her own, Lott said she believes the city could pursue ways to get more people motivated to go to their local community centers –“when I go with my children,” she said, “it’s so great, but nobody’s there.”
What is her approach to expanding the city’s affordable housing stock?
Lott said the city should consider more “alternative housing solutions” through partnerships with local groups like the city’s community development corporations, like the Yes in my Backyard model of building affordable housing.
How would she like to see the city revitalize its blighted and vacant buildings?
Lott said she’d like to explore more punitive measures against owners of vacant lots and buildings.
She said the issue of vacant and blighted buildings has come up often while canvassing the district, with residents saying they believe the boarded up buildings in their neighborhoods have a connection with vagrant transiency.
Lott also alluded to SEDA, saying that opposing the development can lead to a redirection of resources to be invested in communities with vacant and blighted buildings.
“Because then we’re not just bringing up the property value of (the formerly vacant or blighted building), but also the neighboring homes,” Lott said. “That generates additional tax dollars for the city. I don’t believe we have to have this doomsday scenario, that in order to increase our city’s tax revenues, we have to expand outward.”
How will she vote on Measure S and Measure D?
Lott said she is a “strong yes” for Measure S. She volunteered to collect the signatures that got the measure put on the ballot.
“I hear from people at the doors, their kids can’t walk to school,” Lott said. “It’s too dangerous because of the sidewalk and street conditions.”
Lott said she does not support the city’s general tax, Measure D. She said the tax is “a step backwards” for transparency in local tax dollar use.
The city placed Measure D on the ballot after it projected an annual budgetary shortfall of millions of dollars, and the potential layoff of more than 200 employees. However, since it is a general tax, the use of that money is at the discretion of the city council and mayor.
“The general tax has no guardrails of any kind. It is a blank check for local politicians,” Lott said, later adding, “I’d be wary of any tax that cannot specify how the money is going to be used. We owe it to the taxpayers to have full transparency and accountability on how their hard-earned money is being spent.”
What is her assessment of Measure P progress in arts and parks?
Lott said she’s disappointed with the city’s efforts in delivering additional green spaces and parks to District 7.
“I will be very upfront. I have been very discouraged with how slow moving the parks projects have been,” Lott said.
Lott said she believes that District 7 is the only district where the city has not built any parks using Measure P funding.
“Ultimately, that falls on councilmembers exerting (the) will to work with the community to find a suitable location and champion funding for it,” Lott said. “Residents are going to have to accept that these projects take time, but when we have proactive councilmembers that are actually engaging in these projects…I am really hopeful for the future of parks in our city.”
Lott said that the city should “create a platform, some kind of blueprint” to manage arts funding. She believes that should rest largely out of the council’s hands.
Does she support the creation of a charter and ethics commission?
Lott said she supports the creation of a charter and ethics committee in the city.
“We have seen too many times in the city that there are too many political games happening with our tax dollars,” Lott said.
How does she think the city should approach redistricting in 2030?
Lott said she supports an independent redistricting commission that does not need to get approval from the council and said the council shouldn’t have any role in commission appointments.
“We need to create an independent redistricting process that fully removes authority from elected officials and into the hands of everyday residents,” Lott said.
What does she want people to know about a pair of FPPC complaints that have been levied against her this year?
In a press release shared to the media on Sept. 30, Gurm criticized the CA Youth Power PAC, a group that donates to Lott, of publishing advertisements that used what he believed to be “racist dog whistles” against him.
The release alleges that the PAC, alongside its parent organization and Lott, have been coordinating to run advertisements that say Gurm “isn’t one of us.” The ad also shows an image of Gurm, a speech bubble saying “Thanks for the campaign money,” alongside the logo for Pacific Gas & Electric company.”
Last month, a complaint was also filed with city and state campaign finance officials against Lott for allegedly coordinating with the PAC without properly disclosing their connection.
In a statement shared to Fresnoland on Friday, Lott said that the political advertisement in question says Nav “isn’t one of us” because of his ties and campaign contributions from corporations, specifically those tied to Pacific Gas & Electric — one of the largest utility providers in the state.
“PowerCA Action works with young people to fight against the crushing weight of our skyrocketing cost of living, and is known for opposing corporate politicians,” Lott said. “The ad in question is squarely on brand for them, and has no reference to any candidate’s race, religion or gender. It specifically addresses my opponent’s contribution from PG&E.
Lott said she did not participate in the creation of the advertisements, and has followed all campaign laws. A similar complaint was filed against Lott earlier this year, by the same person who filed the latest complaint, for similar claims. No fine seems to have come out of it.
In an expanded statement shared on social media, Lott said she believes the claims against her campaign are part of a coordinated effort by Gurm.
What endorsements has she received?
- California Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula
- Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta
- Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang
- Fresno Unified School Trustee Veva Islas
- Fresno Unified School Trustee Andy Levine
- State Center Community College District Nasreen Johnson
- Andrew Feil – Executive Director, Every Neighborhood Partnership
- Marcel Woodruff – Implementation Strategist, the California Endowment
- Randy White – Founder, Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership
- Dolores Huerta Vote Action Fund
- National Women’s Political Caucus – Fresno Chapter
- San Joaquin Valley Democratic Club
- Fresno County Democratic Women’s Club
- Fresno Madera Tulare Kings Central Labor Council
- Fresno City Employees Association
- City of Fresno Professional Employees Association
- Fresno Teachers Association
- Operating Engineers Local 3
- North Coast Carpenters Union
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 2015
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mar Monte
- Power CA Action
- Fresno Stonewall Democrats
- Fresno Fair Housing Advocates
- California Community Land Trust Action
- California Women’s List
- Latinas Lead California
- Central Valley Progressive PAC
- Valley Voters For Environment And Health PAC
- California Working Families Party
- A list of community endorsements
Who are Martinez Lott’s top donors?
Lott has raised about $136,653 in her bid to win the District 7 Fresno City Council seat. About $46,000 has come since the June primary election.
Here are Lott’s top 10 donors heading into November. Some entities listed have donated more than once to get to the total amount shown.
- Fresno City Employees Association PAC, which has donated $11,800
- Kevin Lott, her husband, who has donated $6,550
- Dr. Joaquin Arambula for Assembly 2024, which has donated $5,500
- Kenneth Alborn, an individual who has donated $5,500
- CA Youth Power PAC – PowerCA Action, which has donated $4,449.40
- Jessica Mast-Foss, former director of the Pink House, who has donated $3,400
- Armida Espinoza, secretary for the board of the The Foundation @ Fresno County Office of Education, who has donated $3,250
- Artie Padilla, director of DRIVE Initiatives for the Central Valley Community Foundation, who has donated $3,000
- City of Fresno Professional Employees Association, which has donated $3,000
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39, which has donated $3,000
