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Municipal elections in Fresno, California (2016)
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| 2016 Fresno elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 11, 2016 |
| Primary election: June 7, 2016 General election: November 8, 2016 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor and city council |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2016 |
Crime was a top issue for voters based on polling. Read more about the issues at play in the election by clicking here.
Elections
General election
Mayor of Fresno
- Note: Mayor Ashley Swearengin was term-limited and was unable to run for re-election.[1] Although elections in Fresno are nonpartisan, Ballotpedia identified the partisan affiliation of the candidates in this race for informational purposes.
- ☐ Henry Perea
- ☑ Lee Brand
District 5
- Note: Incumbent Sal Quintero won election to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in June 2016, requiring a special election for his seat.[2]
District 6
Primary election
Candidate list
- Note: Mayor Ashley Swearengin was term-limited and was unable to run for re-election.[3]
Mayor of Fresno
District 2
- ☑ Steve Brandau (i)
District 4
- ☑ Paul Caprioglio (i)
District 6
Polling
| 2016 Fresno Mayoral Election (Primary) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | H. Spees | Henry R. Perea | Lee Brand | Richard Renteria | Doug Vagim | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||
| Survey USA (April 20-24, 2016) | 13% | 36% | 24% | 3% | 6% | 18% | +/-4.2 | 571 | |||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance
September 24 filing
Candidates for mayor and city council filed finance reports documenting contributions and expenditures received between July 1, 2016, to September 24, 2016. The table below details total contributions and expenditures for the 2016 calendar year as reported in the September 24 finance reports. General election candidates raised $1,676,093.13 and spent $1,296.088.18 through September 24, 2016. Lee Brand led all candidates with $613,460.05 in contributions and $604,096.01 in expenditures.[4]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | ||
| Henry Perea | $540,619.24 | $422,642.74 |
| Lee Brand | $613,460.05 | $604,096.01 |
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| District 5 | ||
| Jose Barraza | $18,875.00 | $4,988.00 |
| Luis Chavez | $85,771.00 | $28,916.24 |
| Antonio Gastelum | $7,045.53 | $6,370.42 |
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| District 6 | ||
| Garry Bredefeld | $314,602.13 | $147,652.13 |
| Jeremy Pearce | $95,720.18 | $81,423.34 |
Primary election
Fresno City Councilman Lee Brand ranked second in April 2016 polls for the mayoral primary but led the field in terms of contributions, expenditures, and cash on hand. Brand reported $287,184 in contributions, $138,629 in expenditures, and $292,733 on hand by April 28, 2016. Henry Perea placed behind Brand with $213,297 in contributions and $148,117 in cash on hand. H. Spees placed behind Brand in terms of expenditures with $110,695 spent through the April 28 finance report.[5]
| Mayoral campaign finance amounts as of April 28, 2016[6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
| H. Spees | $168,580 | $110,695 | $57,925 |
| Henry R. Perea | $213,297 | $65,444 | $148,117 |
| Lee Brand | $287,184 | $138,629 | $292,733 |
| Richard Renteria | <$1,000 | <$1,000 | <$1,000 |
| Doug Vagim | $5,178 | $226 | $4,952 |
The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Additional elections
- See also: California elections, 2016
The November general election ballot included races for state assembly, state senate, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and U.S. president.
Fresno voters decided on the following measures:
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of amending the city charter allow formal bidding notices and responses to be done electronically via internet rather than through hard copies only. |
| A no vote was a vote against amending the city charter to allow formal bidding notices and responses to be done electronically via internet, thereby leaving a requirement that city bid proposals be delivered as a hard copy to the city hall. |
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of amending the county charter to allow the County Administrative Officer appoint and supervise the Chief Probation Officer. |
| A no vote was a vote against amending the county charter, thereby leaving the Chief Probation Officer appointed by superior court judges. |
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of amending the county charter to allow the Director of Public Works to appoint a county surveyor instead of being the county surveyor, make the position of Public Administrator an appointed rather than elected office, modify language regarding the purchase of local goods, services, and supplies, and repeal charter section 32, which addresses the defunct office of County Constable. |
| A no vote was a vote against amending the county charter to allow the Director of Public Works to appoint a county surveyor instead of being the county surveyor, make the position of Public Administrator an appointed rather than elected office, modify language regarding the purchase of local goods, services, and supplies, and repeal charter section 32, which addresses the defunct office of County Constable. |
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of issuing $225,000,000 in general obligation bonds for school facilities construction and maintenance. |
| A no vote was a vote against issuing $225,000,000 in general obligation bonds for school facilities construction and maintenance. |
Issues
Comparing mayoral candidates
The following table summarizes the stances of Henry Perea and Lee Brand on major issues facing Fresno.
| Mayoral candidate stances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue | Henry Perea | Lee Brand |
| Partisan affiliation[7] |  Democratic |
 Republican
|
| Budget priorities[8] | "At the top of the list for budget priorities is public safety. We need to hire more police officers to restore public safety in our community. We also need to continue to build up our fire department to have sufficient resources to handle fires and emergencies. Bringing in more police officers will help address chronic homelessness and vagrancy problems affecting our entire city." | "The city’s financial priorities should be investing in jobs, public safety and securing its water supply. These priorities go hand in hand. Helping local small businesses grow and attracting new businesses is key to expanding our economic base. Cuts would be a last resort however, if necessary, I would first reduce contract costs with vendors that the city contracts with and reduce positions through attrition. Public safety positions would not be reduced." |
| General plan changes[8] | "Market forces drive development. You cannot force people to live or work where they do not want to go. You must incentivize development in revitalized areas of Southeast and Southwest Fresno. The Economic Expansion Act that I wrote focuses on industrial and revitalized areas and provides three levels of incentives to reduce costs and encourage development in older neighborhoods and transit corridors." | "I would support the current general plan and work with neighboring cities and counties to take a regional approach to growth. I would apply a solid planning and business approach to implementing the general plan." |
| Bus rapid transit (BRT)[8] | "I did not support the original BRT proposal at over $50 million. It was over priced and didn't deliver an efficient plan. I did support a revised version that came back a few months later with a significant reduction in price and a revised transportation model. The new model was modeled after Stockton which uses smaller more cost effective buses. The routes were modified to include Shaw Avenue. Shaw Avenue has many prime destinations including the Save Mart arena, the Maya Theatre complex, Fresno State University, Fashion Fair Mall, and Fig Garden Village Shopping Center." | "The decision on BRT has been made, my job as mayor will be to build it on time and within budget. BRT is an important link in implementation of the new general plan and provides a viable means of transportation for our residents." |
Crime a top issue for primary voters
Survey USA polled 517 likely voters on who they planned on voting for in the 2016 primary and which issues were most important to them. Thirty percent of voters polled listed crime as the biggest issue facing Fresno, with 25 percent saying gangs, 16 percent saying economic issues, and 12 percent saying homelessness. Among those who considered crime to be the most important issue facing the city, equal numbers of voters said that they were likely to vote for frontrunner Henry R. Perea and Lee Brand. Perea polled best with voters who prioritized homelessness as an issue, with 57 percent of those voters saying that they would cast a ballot for him.[9]
For undecided voters, gangs were the most significant issue. Eighteen percent of voters who had not yet decided which candidate to put their support behind said that gangs were the biggest issue facing Fresno, with 17 percent saying that crime was most important and 14 percent each prioritizing economic issues and homelessness.[9]
| 2016 Fresno Mayoral Election (Primary)[9] | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Crime | Gangs | Economic | Homeless | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 17% | 18% | 14% | 14% | |||||||||||||||
| Undecided | 4% | 9% | 4% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| Doug Vagim | 2% | 2% | 6% | 2% | |||||||||||||||
| Richard Renteria | 30% | 25% | 27% | 16% | |||||||||||||||
| Henry R. Perea | 30% | 31% | 36% | 57% | |||||||||||||||
| H. Spees | 16% | 14% | 14% | 9% | |||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 16.5% | 16.5% | 16.83% | 16.67% | |||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Dispute over campaign's use of antique fire truck
The Fresno City Firefighters Union endorsed Henry R. Perea in the mayoral primary, but issues arose when another candidate, Lee Brand, used an antique fire truck to display a "Brand for Mayor" election sign. Members of the union alleged that this was an attempt by Brand to mislead voters by implying that he had the support of the firefighters' union.[10]
| “ |
My question to them was, 'Why a fire truck?' There only one reason why you would use a fire truck[11] |
” |
| —James Scoggin, Fresno City Firefighters Union[10] | ||
Brand denied the allegations against him, claiming that there was no intended implication to the choice of vehicle, he had not personally installed the sign, and had only found out about it after the fact. Brand claimed that the Firefighters Union was attaching undue significance to his campaign's use of the truck.[10] Calling the fire truck sign a non-issue, he pushed for a shift in focus back to what he believed to be the more important issues of his campaign.[12]
About the city
- See also: Fresno, California
Fresno is a city located in Fresno County, California. As of 2010, its population was 494,665.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government and Council-manager government
The city government of Fresno blends elements of a council-manager system with a strong mayor system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor, however, appoints a city manager to oversee the city's day-to-day operations and implement city policies.[13][14]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Fresno, California | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | California | |
| Population | 494,665 | 37,253,956 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 114 | 155,857 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 60.5% | 59.7% |
| Black/African American | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| Asian | 13.8% | 14.5% |
| Native American | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 12.8% | 14% |
| Multiple | 4.2% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 49.6% | 39% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 77.4% | 83.3% |
| College graduation rate | 21.9% | 33.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $50,432 | $75,235 |
| Persons below poverty level | 25.2% | 13.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Fresno California election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Fresno, California | California | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Fresno Bee, "Who's the next Fresno mayor? Race to succeed Swearengin starts now," April 21, 2015
- ↑ CBS Fresno, "Questions surface in Fresno City Council District 5 race," September 19, 2016
- ↑ The Fresno Bee, "Who's the next Fresno mayor? Race to succeed Swearengin starts now," April 21, 2015
- ↑ City of Fresno, "Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed October 18, 2016
- ↑ The Fresno Bee, "Brand, Perea lead Fresno mayor money chase," April 22, 2016
- ↑ City of Fresno, "Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed May 17, 2016
- ↑ The Fresno Bee, "On some issues, political labels don’t seem to fit Brand, Perea," October 24, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Fresno Bee, "Voter Guide," accessed October 25, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Survey USA, "Election Poll #22851," April 20-24, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 ABC 30 Action News, "Campaign sign on antique fire truck causes controversy in Fresno mayor race," May 16, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABC 30 Action News, "Fresno firefighters vexed by fire truck used in political campaign," May 17, 2016
- ↑ City of Fresno, "Government," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ City of Fresno, "Office of the Mayor," accessed August 26, 2014
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