FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno City Council will have a new look in 2027.
With three seats up for grabs in the November election, and possibly a fourth next year, that much is certain.
What must be determined by Fresno voters is how well the reconfigured council will mesh with the policy agenda set by Mayor Jerry Dyer during his final two years in office. Dyer terms out in January 2029.
And that’s something that gives Dyer anxiety.
“There could be a substantial shift in the direction that the council goes, and that scares me,” Dyer told the Rotary Club of Fresno in August. “If we don’t get the right people in there, with the desire to serve the people of Fresno, or they have an agenda that is not consistent with mine, then it’s going to be a rough last two years for me.”
Who's running?
None of the six candidates seeking a Fresno City Council seat in the Nov. 3 election is an incumbent. Four, though, have held local elected office.
In District 1, which extends across central and west-central Fresno, the Fresno High area, part of the Tower District and west of Highway 99, former federal prosecutor and State Center Community College District Trustee Rob Fuentes is running against Jakara Movement leader and Central Unified School District Trustee Naindeep Singh.
The seat is open because incumbent Annalisa Perea opted to run for state assembly rather than seek reelection.
In District 3, which covers much of southwest and south Fresno including downtown, Chinatown, part of the Tower District and most of the city’s industrial parks, state Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula faces Fresno Unified Trustee and nonprofit executive Keshia Thomas.
Incumbent Miguel Arias is termed out and running for the Area 1 seat on the Fresno Unified School Board.
In District 7, which includes east-central Fresno and parts of southeast Fresno and the Blackstone Avenue corridor, attorney and political consultant Nav Gurm is running against community advocate Ariana Martinez Lott.
Incumbent Nelson Esparza is termed out and running for the District 1 seat on the state Board of Equalization.
A fourth city council seat in northwest Fresno’s District 2 may also come open next year because incumbent Mike Karbassi is seeking election to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
If Karbassi wins, a special election would be held in 2027 to replace him on the city council.
Because all candidates for the three current council openings are registered Democrats, District 6 member Nick Richardson will remain the lone Republican on the dais no matter who wins.
Dyer is a Republican and a self-described “fiscal conservative.”
However, the mayor has taken moderate stances on social issues, including his support for raising the Pride flag outside City Hall in 2021 and recent criticisms of ICE enforcement in Fresno.
Dyer has also proven adept at working with Democrats on the council, but that skill could be tested depending on the November outcome.
The six candidates can more or less be grouped into establishment Democrats and progressives.
In Districts 1 and 7, establishment Democrats such as Fuentes and Gurm face off against progressives such as Singh and Martinez Lott.
Both candidates in District 3 tilt to the progressive wing of the party, but Arambula even more so based on his legislative track record of expanding healthcare for residents without legal status and low-income housing tax credits for farmworkers.
Dyer has endorsed Fuentes and Gurm, as has the Fresno County Democratic Party. Neither have endorsed a candidate in the District 3 race.
In June, Dyer told The Fresno Bee he supports candidates who align with his views on public safety, homelessness, downtown revitalization, business policy and “smart growth.”
Is ‘smart growth’ code for SEDA?
“Smart growth” could be code for the Southeast Development Area or SEDA, a Dyer-endorsed plan to add 9,000 acres and an estimated 45,000 homes to the city’s southeast flank.
Dyer has said he hopes the current council passes an industry-heavy portion of SEDA known as “south SEDA” by year’s end. South SEDA has a total projected cost of $672 million, of which developer fees would cover $233 million.
However, it is unclear whether the mayor has the necessary votes. Thus, the matter could extend into 2027 and the new council.
All six council candidates have voiced opposition to SEDA during public forums and on questionnaires, but to differing degrees.
Singh, Martinez Lott, Arambula and Thomas have taken the strongest anti-SEDA positions. Fuentes and Gurm, who have accepted campaign donations from developers, left open some wiggle room depending on funding sources.
The District 1 race between Singh, 48, and Fuentes, 41, is the most expensive of the three.
As of this week, Singh has raised $344,706 in campaign contributions – the most of any candidate during this election cycle – compared to $231,546 by Fuentes. Singh was also the frontrunner in the June primary with 38.7% of the vote followed by Fuentes with 36.5%.
Just 20 votes separated Gurm – 39.7% – and Martinez Lott – 39% – during the District 7 primary. However, Gurm, 26, holds a sizable fundraising edge over Martinez Lott, 39, with $285,926 raised compared to $147,700.
Arambula received 30% of the primary vote compared to Thomas’ 27.6% in what was a seven-candidate field. However, the 49-year-old Arambula is well ahead in campaign contributions with $234,800 compared to $84,684 for the 53-year-old Thomas.
But as recent history has shown, more money doesn’t necessarily equate to more votes.
That was never more true than in 2024 when Richardson scored an upset victory despite being outspent 7 to 1 by Roger Bonakdar.
If elected, Singh and Gurm would be the first people of the Sikh community to serve on the Fresno City Council. And unless Martinez Lott prevails, the seven-member body would be all male.
