Election 2024: Central California Live Updates
Primary night results show likely November matchups for House District 20, 22
In a highly-anticipated primary night for two San Joaquin Valley congressional races, it became a lot clearer by the end of the night who may go against each other in November.
As of 11 p.m., Republican incumbent David Valadao is leading Democrat Rudy Salas 34% to 29%.
Republican candidate Chris Mathys told KVPR Tuesday night he was admitting defeat, not expecting to close the gap he saw on election night.
"I’m going back to the ranch and I’m working cattle and attending to my business and family. No more, I’m completely done," Mathys said.
This means voters in District 22 will once again pick from the same candidates as in the 2022 midterm election.
In that election, Valadao won by 52%, edging past Salas by 3,100 votes.
The district’s voter base, however, leans Democratic, and in the primary that year, Salas actually beat Valadao by nearly 20 percentage points.
Analysts have attributed the flip-flopping to low voter turnout, which is predicted again this year.
District 20
In the highly-watched District 20 race, State Assemblymember Vince Fong was leading with 37% of the vote.
If he stays in the lead, it's unclear who his challenger will be. Democrat Marisa Wood was neck and neck with Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, at 24% and 23%.
This seat has been highly contentious ever since it was vacated by Republican former Congressman and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Fong, who has served in the state legislature since 2016, had always been the front-runner to replace McCarthy, after receiving endorsements from both the former Speaker and former President Donald Trump.
The district leans to the right, with 46% of voters registered as Republicans.
In December, Fong won a legal victory that allowed him to appear on the ballot.
Initially, a judge had deemed him ineligible to run for Congress because he had already filed for re-election in his current Assembly district.
State election code prohibits a candidate from running in two races simultaneously.
In December, Secretary of State Shirley Weber appealed the ruling, paving the way for Fong to run for Congress, despite the fact that it was too late for him to remove his name from the race for Assembly.
Where Fresno supervisor, measure races stand on election night
At 10 p.m. races for the Fresno County Board of Supervisor appeared to have top candidates emerging for the November ballot.
In Supervisor District 3, incumbent Sal Quintero led Fresno Councilman Luis Chavez 42% to 25%.
In Supervisor District 2, Fresno Councilman Garry Bredefeld led incumbent Steve Brandau 38% to 27%.
Voters were still being counted.
County measures
As for ballot measure results, Measure B appeared headed for a fail with 64% of "no" votes. It was still early.
Measure B would put the decision to change the names of some places, like unincorporated communities, in the hands of local governments rather than those of the state or feds.
The measure follows a legal battle over AB 2022, a state law passed two years ago. The law required local governments to rename any area that bore the offensive term “squaw,” and the Fresno County community of Squaw Valley became Yokuts Valley.
County supervisors sued the state over the law. The case was thrown out, but the county then drafted this measure to change the county charter and give itself more responsibility over place names.
Measure E, a sales-tax measure for improvements at Fresno State, was also down, but by a lot less. Votes stood at 55% "no," and 45% "yes," by the end of the night.
Measure E would implement a sales tax on Fresno County residents, claiming one cent for every four dollars spent.
Profits from the sales tax would go toward upgrades to cash-strapped California State University, Fresno, including infrastructure repairs, construction of a new concert hall, and the expansion of existing degree programs.
This year marks the second time that Fresno State has requested a sales tax from Fresno County residents.
In the 2022 midterms, the measure took 47% of the vote, losing by a little more than 12,000 votes.
The measure requires a simple majority - 50% of the votes plus one - to pass.
Tim Orman, a consultant for the measure, told KVPR supporters of the measure were "cautiously optimistic." He added the campaign took a risk by placing the measure in a primary election, rather than a general.
About 100 showed up for a Measure E watch party.
In House District 13, Duarte leads Gray as both head to general election
In House District 13, Republican incumbent John Duarte and Democrat Adam Gray are headed for a match in November.
Just before 10 p.m. Duarte was leading Gray 52% to 48% with most ballots appearing to be counted.
A group of about 25 voters attended a watch party for Duarte in Ceres.
Those in attendance were praising Duarte's focus on agriculture, especially in a region rich with it.
Others said they liked Duarte for his moderate views.
Duarte and Gray went head to head in the 2022 midterm election, when Duarte won by a mere 564 votes.
Duarte, a former Central Valley farmer, is running for his second term in Congress.
Gray, who served on the State Assembly for five terms starting in 2012, is running for what would be his first term in Congress.
"It's been incredible, the number of volunteers that I have had this year," Gray told KVPR. "There is certainly an appetite out there for change."
Gray said despite the returns Tuesday, the result he is focused on is a win in November.
District 13 covers Merced County and parts of Madera, Fresno, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties.
Despite electing a Republican in 2022, voters in this district lean Democratic, with 43% registered as Democrats, 28% as Republicans, and 22% as No Party Preference.
Photos from watch parties across Central California as polls close
Poll have just closed. We will begin to see results come in shortly.
Here are photos from campaign events.
At watch party, Adam Gray campaign touts more support this time around
At a watch party for former State Assemblymember Adam Gray, the mood was positive as Gray challenges Republican incumbent for House District 13 John Duarte.
Gray poked at Congress's lack of legislation, and said his campaign this time around has more support. He challenged Duarte in the last election, but lost.
Gray is running for what would be his first term in Congress. Duarte, a former Central Valley farmer, is running for his second term.
District 13 covers Merced County and parts of Madera, Fresno, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties.
Despite electing a Republican in 2022, voters in this district lean Democratic, with 43% registered as Democrats, 28% as Republicans, and 22% as No Party Preference.
When to expect results for House, Senate and other races in Central California
Polls will close in California at 8 p.m. PST.
Those who are still in line can still vote, but results will begin to trickle in into the evening.
Follow the live results page below for House and Senate results.
KVPR is watching for returns on several races, including the House District 20, where we may know who could be on their way to filling the seat left vacant by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The seat is surely to stay with a Republican.
In House District 22, all eyes are on how turnout will affect the top two vote-getters.
The district is heavily Democrat, but incumbent David Valadao has managed to hold the seat.
On both sides, the candidates are facing challenges from their own party for votes.
We will also look for results on local races, including the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and measures B and E.
Our reporting partners at Fresnoland also have a live results page for several Fresno area races.
Voters share pick in race to fill former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's seat
The race for House District 20 has drawn lots of attention ever since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy left a vacancy.
Ross Kallemberger, 73, of Bakersfield told KVPR he’s supporting Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
That is despite liking State Assemblymember Vince Fong, who he says is “doing well where he’s at”
But for Kelly Flores, Fong is the choice.
She says the decision was simple: “He was endorsed by Trump.”
The Bakersfield Republican said she was sad to see McCarthy leave Congress and wants the seat to stay with Republicans.
At least on that front, Flores may be able to count the district to remain in the hands of a Republican, since voter registration favors the party.
Wanting their voices heard, voters in rural Valley towns go to the polls
In the small, rural town of Planada, voters came out to cast their votes and issues on their mind ranged from who the next president should be to recovering from historic floods last year.
Alicia Rodriguez, 57, says she always votes, "rain or shine." Rodriguez was especially passionate this election after witnessing floods last year devastate her community.
She told KVPR she felt let down by the county's supervisors.
Salvador Alonzo, 50, of Merced, was thinking of what is outside of Planada. He said current world affairs have worried him.
By casting his vote, he said he would see what his "little vote" can do to change things.
The most important item on his ballot was U.S. President.
Leslie Schleth, 57, drove up to vote in Planada from down the road in the small unincorporated community of Plainsburg.
She said to her, it's important to know who her elected officials are, so she already knew she would vote for Jim Pacheco as her county supervisor because of his presence in the community.
An older voter in Kern County says parties are pushing seniors aside
At the Kern County Elections Office, voter Marty Jackson said she voted for Republican Kevin McCarthy prior to the January 6 insurrection, but this time was going a different direction.
“I stopped, I quit,” she said. “It was a turning point.”
In the race for House District 20 — the seat McCarthy vacated — Jackson is supporting Democrat Marissa Woods.
The senior citizen says both parties have a long way to go supporting Medi-Care and prescription drug costs.
She shared she turned to buying allergy medications from Canada to save hundreds of dollars a month and says she knows several seniors who have to choose between their medications and utility bills each month.
“It’s hard for me, don’t get me wrong,” she says. “But I want to breathe in Bakersfield. I have asthma.”
Jackson said as an older voter, she feels like, "they [politicians] just shove senior citizens aside.”
Merced voters have range of issues in mind as they cast ballots
Voters of all ages showed up to cast their vote at Merced College.
Among them were Marilyn and Marc Sobel, of Merced.
Marilyn, 64, told KVPR she hoped to send a message to President Joe Biden with her vote.
She said top issues on her mind include the situation in Gaza, climate change and housing.
Marilyn said she wrote in Bernie Sanders for president.
Voters have say on public safety measure
Other voters in Merced were having their say on a local public safety funding measure — known as Measure C.
The measure was first passed in 2006, and is up for renewal this election.
Estee Beck, 45, of Merced, ultimately voted "no" on the measure, citing a concern for the budget to pay for other city services other than police and fire departments.
In downtown Fresno, voter says taking part in election is his 'duty'
George Fitzhenry, 77, has voted in every election since he was 18.
He lives in West Fresno, and voted in person Tuesday at a polling site in downtown Fresno.
He called voting his "duty."
Fitzhenry said he chose to vote in person to ensure his ballot was properly delivered. This election, his top issue was abortion; he is against it.
Fitzhenry also criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom and Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who is running for reelection.
Madera County elections office livestreams its ballot-counting process
The Madera County Registrar of Voters has set up a livestream of its ballot-counting room.
Multiple offices are allowing voters to see behind the scenes as voting takes place during the March 5th Primary.
A big question for the March 5 Primary: What will turnout look like?
Voting experts and observers will be looking at voter turnout during Super Tuesday to get a sense of enthusiasm, but if early trends hold, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of it around the March 5th Primary.
Just around a week ago, Capitol Weekly, a non-partisan news outlet, reported 7% of votes had been cast — about 1.5 million of the state's 22 million eligible voters.
The Public Policy Institute of California also released some of its findings, showing a majority of California residents were either "somewhat, not too, or not at all enthusiastic" about voting this year.
Yet, the PPIC recorded, 84% of voters say voting in 2024 is “very important," and it was high across all parties.
Rudy Salas, a contender for a close House race, casts his vote in Bakersfield
Democrat Rudy Salas cast his vote Tuesday at the Kern County Fairgrounds.
Salas is locked in a tight four-way race for House District 22. He, along with Democrat Melissa Hurtado and Republican Chris Mathys, are seeking to replace Republican incumbent David Valadao.
Valadao currently represents a district where about 43% of voters are registered as Democrats, compared to 26% as Republicans and 22% as No Party Preference.
Analysts are watching the race closely, because the outcome on Super Tuesday could provide a clue as to which party will control of the House of Representatives in Congress.
The top two in the race will advance to the general election in November.
Where you can cast your vote across Central California
Fifteen states and one U.S. territory are holding elections today in the Presidential Primary Election, on what is known as Super Tuesday.
That includes California. Across the San Joaquin Valley, there are multiple places to go vote or drop off your mail-in ballot.
Here are links to county election websites where you can find a voting location and other information:
Polling sites opened Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Kern County livestreams ballot-counting process on Election Day
For the first time ever, Kern County is livestreaming its ballot-counting process.
Right now voters can watch poll workers organize and process ballots on the Kern County Elections website.
This was an effort by County Clerk Aimee Espinoza, who said the country wants to make the voting process more transparent.
“Even in casual conversations with people I realize there’s just this mystery around what happens in our office and how things are processed and I really feel that it’s important that the more people know, the more confidence they will have in the process," Espinoza said.
A few weeks ago the county also published an educational video about the absentee voting process called “the life of a ballot.” The goal, Espinoza said, is to show people exactly how and when their vote will be counted.
Kern County’s effort to demystify the elections process comes as many Americans' faith in elections have been challenged in recent years.
Kern County elections officials aiming to have smooth election day
More than 100 polling places across Kern County are open today for voters to cast their ballots.
County Clerk Aimee Espinoza spoke with KVPR and says poll workers are trained to make the process smooth and safe.
“We talk about de-escalation techniques and as far as assisting voters who may be upset or confused or have questions, and then they have resources that they can go to help calm someone down or provide answers if it’s something the poll worker isn’t aware of," Espinoza says.
Confusion is possible as many voters in Kern, and neighboring counties, may have received two ballots. One is for today’s presidential primary. The other is a special election to decide who will fill the vacancy left when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy resigned last year.
Poll workers are on site to answer questions. And voters can call the Kern Elections Office. Extra hands were hired to take calls.
Polling sites opened Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
