In the Nov. 8 election, Sanger voters have a choice between two diverse candidates for mayor — incumbent Eli Ontiveros and challenger Frank Gonzalez.
Ontiveros, 45, is a longtime Sanger resident and a family man who operates a concrete business. He has served on the City Council since 2010, including as mayor since 2020. But he has a big blemish on his resume — a police report accuses him of choking and slapping his wife in December 2021 — an allegation that didn’t stick.
Gonzalez, 57, was born and raised in Sanger. He is single, and a retired Air Force master sergeant with a master’s degree in business. He was Sanger’s mayor from 2016 to 2020 until Ontiveros beat him 4,666 votes to 3,904 votes.
If this is a revenge match, both men aren’t saying so publicly. What they do say is that they want what’s best for Sanger — a revitalized downtown, more jobs for residents, and safe parks and schools for children.
Read more from former Fresno Bee courts reporter Pablo Lopez at this Fresno Spotlight link.
