Measure E backers raise more money this time. Follow the money here on Fresno County races
The Yes on Measure E committee is raising and spending more money this time around in an effort to avoid a repeat defeat in the March 5 primary, easily making it Fresno County’s most expensive local campaign.
Through Feb. 17, in the most recent campaign finance disclosure filed with Fresno County, the committee has garnered more than $2.14 million in contributions, largely through unions that stand to gain from new construction at Fresno State university.
Measure E would impose a 0.25% sales tax on taxable goods and services throughout the county for a period of 25 years to pay for facilities and academic program improvements at Fresno State.
The fundraising this election season stands in contrast to the last failed effort. In November 2022, the campaign committee in favor of a similar ballot measure spent almost $1.9 million in a failed effort, falling short of the simple majority needed to pass. Almost 53% of voters in Fresno County voted against the measure.
This time around, the Yes on E committee has spent slightly more than it has raised, reporting in excess of $2.15 million in expenditures. No formal campaign finance committee was established to oppose Measure E.
While the Measure E campaign has lit up the airwaves and clogged voters’ mailboxes with direct-mail fliers, it is just one of several Fresno County contests in which considerable sums are being raised and spent to sway voters.
Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 2
Coming in a distant second in spending is the race for the District 2 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, where incumbent Supervisor Steve Brandau is facing four challengers including Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld. As of the Feb. 17 disclosure reports, Brandau reported raising almost $312,000 and spending almost $316,000 on his 2024 campaign.
Bredefeld, however, had raised considerably more money – in excess of $756,000, including a sizable chunk of cash transferred from his previous City Council campaign war chest – and spent just shy of $300,000 on his campaign. Bredefeld is prevented by term limits from seeking a third four-year term on the City Council.
Bredefeld and another City Council member, Luis Chavez, were sued by Fresno County last year after each announced their intention to transfer unspent money from their City Council election accounts to runs for the county Board of Supervisors – Bredefeld in District 2 representing northeast, northwest and central Fresno, and Chavez in District 3 covering central and southern portions of Fresno.
The lawsuit focused on a 2020 county ordinance that put a $30,000 cap on transfers or contributions from a candidate’s campaign account for non-county elective offices into their campaigns for county offices, including the Board of Supervisors. Bredefeld had decried the ordinance as an “incumbent protection scheme,” and a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled that the county ordinance was unconstitutional.
A third experienced candidate, current county Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos, has reported raisling $70,000 and spending a little over $50,000 on his campaign.
Two other candidates, small business owner Bryce Herrera and social worker Dion Bourdase, trail well behind in both fund-raising and spending.
Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 3
In Fresno County’s District 3, incumbent Sal Quintero is the leading fund-raiser and leading spender. Quintero’s campaign finance disclosure through Feb. 17 reports raising more than $185,000 for his 2024 campaign while spending a little over $163,000.
His nearest rival so far, Chavez, has filed disclosures that report about $130,000 raised, including money transferred from his City Council campaign account, compared to spending of almost $135,000.
Another Fresno City Council member, MIguel Arias, reports raising a little more than $94,000 for his campaign, which includes transfers from his City Council committee, against spending of just under $50,000.
A fourth candidate, teacher EJ Hinojosa. lags behind with contributions received amounting to about $12,600 and expenditures of about $11,500.
Fresno County Board of Supervisors, District 5
Incumbent Supervisor Nathan Magsig had raised more than $293,000 in his re-election bid to represent eastern Fresno County on the Board of Supervisors, compared to spending of about $164,000.
His lone challenger in the primary, nonprofit manager Jennifer Cruz, reports contributions amounting to about $20,600 through Feb. 17 against expenditures of just over $11,000.
No on Measures A and B
While no formal campaign committee exists to support either Measure A or Measure B, a pair of proposals put on the ballot by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, the No on Measure A and B Committee hopes to defeat both.
Measure A proposes keeping elections for county sheriff and district attorney in non-presidential voting years. It’s a response to a state law that calls for charter counties that did not already have specified election dates for those two offices to move them to presidential election years when voter turnout is greater.
Measure B, in the meantime, is the response by local supervisors to state and federal moves to require changing the name of Squaw Valley, a community in the Sierra foothills east of Fresno, to Yokuts Valley. The word “squaw” is considered an offensive stereotype of Native American women. Measure B would reserve for the Board of Supervisors the authority to name or rename geographic features in unincorporated areas of Fresno County.
The No on A & B Committee reported raising $21,000 through Feb. 17 and spending about $7,400.
