Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

15 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

16 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

20 hours ago

Elon Musk Says Senate Bill Would Destroy Jobs and Harm US

20 hours ago

Israel Strikes Pound Gaza, Killing 60, Ahead of US Talks on Ceasefire

21 hours ago

Trump’s Administration Finds Harvard Violated Students’ Civil Rights, WSJ Reports

21 hours ago

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

3 days ago
Fresno Mayor Brand Won't Run Again. 'It's Time I Moved On'
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
May 20, 2019

Share

Lee Brand, the 25th mayor of Fresno, will not run for a second term, he said in a stunning announcement Monday.

City Hall insiders have said Brand’s exit will open the way for police Chief Jerry Dyer to run for mayor. In a statement, Dyer said he is “strongly considering” entering the race.

The mayoral primary will be held March 3, 2020.

“I will not seek a second term as mayor of Fresno,” Brand said in an appearance on Ray Appleton’s show on KMJ radio. “It’s time I move on.”

Andrew Janz, who ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Devin Nunes last year, was the only announced mayoral candidate. In an exclusive GV Wire poll conducted in April, Dyer was preferred in a three-way race with Janz and Brand, with Janz a close second.

Dyer, 60, is scheduled to retire in October after 18 years as police chief. A public search for his successor is underway.

On Monday, Fresno City Councilman Luis Chavez said he would jump into the mayoral race.

“The city is at a crossroads and we need leadership that can bring all parts of our city together,” said Chavez, who represents District 5 on the council. “My almost 10 years serving residents across the city make me the most qualified candidate for mayor.”

In a statement, Janz thanked Brand for “his longstanding service and commitment to our great city.”

“It’s time that we come together as a community,” Janz said. “I look forward to sharing my vision for the city of Fresno in the coming months.”

Brand declined to say whether he would support another candidate. “At this point, I’m completely neutral. I want to focus on the things Fresno needs.”

Asked if he would be open to taking another role at Fresno City Hall, such as city manager, Brand demurred. “I want to get away from City Hall,” he said. Brand hoped to do some traveling and spending more time with his grandchildren and other family.

Brand said he tried to stay out of the “ideological civil war” in local politics and focus on issues he cared about, such as solving the city’s persistent problems of poverty, crime and homelessness.

“I hope I can be remembered as the person who started Fresno in that direction,” Brand said.

In a statement released by City Hall, Brand noted that he turned 70 in April, which “caused me to reflect on my life, my career and my time as mayor.”

“Not having the burden of re-election gives me the freedom to devote all of my energy to improving our community,” Brand said. “I will keep the ‘pedal to the metal’ until my last day in office.”

Brand was elected mayor in 2016, defeating Henry R. Perea, a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. Brand followed two-term Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who endorsed Brand as her successor.

Perea, reacting to the news about Brand, said: “It’s going to boil down obviously to a Janz-Dyer race. There are going to be a lot of new dynamics in play, and it’s going to shape up to be a very competitive contest.

“The message to the money folks is, if you’re not giving to both candidates, you’re not very smart.”

Before moving into the mayor’s office, Brand served two terms as a City Council member representing northeast Fresno’s District 6.

Brand is the 24th person to serve as mayor, though there have been 25 mayoral administrations. Z.S. Leymel served twice, from 1929-34 and from 1941-47.

He is the former president and co-founder of Westco Equities, a property management/construction firm he has owned and operated for 29 years.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

DON'T MISS

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

UP NEXT

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

UP NEXT

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

UP NEXT

Dyer’s Lobbying Works. Fresno Gets $100M for Downtown From State

UP NEXT

Fresno Fire Destroys Home Under Construction, Displaces Six

UP NEXT

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

UP NEXT

Buying a Home With Solar? Beware of CA Bill Written by Former Utility Co. Exec

UP NEXT

Catholic Bishops Try to Rally Opposition to Trump’s Immigration Agenda

UP NEXT

Immigration Raids Leave Crops Unharvested, California Farms at Risk

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony Michael Caldwell

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

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

13 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

14 hours ago

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

14 hours ago

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

14 hours ago

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

14 hours ago

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

14 hours ago

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

14 hours ago

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

14 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

15 hours ago

Dyer’s Lobbying Works. Fresno Gets $100M for Downtown From State

15 hours ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

The Clovis Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating an at-risk missing adult last seen on Thursday. Pathmani Goonawarde...

12 hours ago

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
12 hours ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

fresno
13 hours ago

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

13 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

Bryan Koberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students, listens during a hearing to overturn his grand jury indictment in Moscow, Idaho, U.S., October 26, 2023. (Reuters File)
14 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

The Blanca Fire, burning 12 acres northwest of Lake Madera Country Estates in Madera County, remains active with 0% containment and no reported injuries or structural damage as the cause is under investigation as of Monday, June 30, 2025. (CalFire)
14 hours ago

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

Fresno County CHP arrested two on Interstate 5 after finding about one kilogram of suspected cocaine, a loaded ghost gun, and counterfeit money during a vehicle search on Sunday, June 29, 2025. (CHP)
14 hours ago

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

Gov. Newsom warns Californians to celebrate the Fourth of July safely, emphasizing zero tolerance for illegal fireworks which have surged to over 600,000 pounds seized this year. (Shutterstock)
14 hours ago

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend