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Take 5: Scharton Won't Ask for Contributions in District 3 Campaign
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
January 16, 2018

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Craig Scharton has been down this road before.
The interim director of the Downtown Fresno Partnership served on the Fresno City Council from 1987-1991. At that time, he represented District 1, which encompassed the Tower District and surrounding area.
Now, 27 years later, Scharton says he’d like to give it another go. He’s joined the field of candidates seeking to succeed Oliver Baines as councilman for District 3 which serves west and southwest Fresno. He plans to run a different kind of campaign.
“I will not ask anyone for money or for endorsements,” Scharton says.
It’s an approach that could prove challenging in a race with three opponents and other potential candidates still weighing bids. District 3 is currently represented by Oliver Baines, who will term out of office at the end of 2018. Other announced candidates in the race to date are Tate Hill, Daren Miller and Barigye McCoy.
Still, Scharton has developed a sizeable base of supporters who appreciate his longstanding efforts to revitalize Fresno’s downtown (which is encompassed by district 3.) They could help power his outreach efforts.

“I will not ask anyone for money or for endorsements.” — District 3 candidate Craig Scharton
In the video above, Scharton shares his thoughts on the importance of downtowns, his campaign philosophy, and his views on homelessness and legalized marijuana.
He also comments on the impact of the FBI’s Operation Rezone public bribery scandal that rocked local politics in the early 1990s. While he was never named as a target of that investigation, a key witness reportedly implicated Scharton at the time, according to Fresno Bee reports.
Scharton says, “I didn’t have a role in Operation Rezone, but it certainly had a big impact on my life in the way I look at certain things.” He says he is very cautious about “any perception of ever doing anything that would violate the public trust.”

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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