■A new No on Measure E ad calls out Assemblymember Jim Patterson.

■Ballot returns for the March 5 primary off to a slow start.

■Who are the write-in candidates?

A new No on Measure E radio ad is taking it to one of its most prominent supporters, Assemblymember Jim Patterson.

The ad also questions why voters would “pay twice” to fund Fresno State. The measure, on the current election ballot, would raise Fresno County’s sales tax by one-quarter of a percent to fund Fresno State projects.

“Instead of fighting to send those tax dollars to Fresno State, useless politicians like Assemblyman Jim Patterson are trying to convince you to pay double the cost due to their incompetence,” the one-minute radio spot on KMJ said.

Voters rejected a similar measure in 2022.

An anti-Measure E group called Guardians of Growth PAC paid for the ad. The ad can be heard here.

Patterson, R-Fresno, is termed out for Assembly at the end of this year. He endorsed David Tangipa, R-Clovis, also a Measure E supporter.

His office referred to a statement released to the media two weeks ago, saying “Since 2016, every time the CSU System or Fresno State has asked for augmentation to its budget, I have emphatically spoken out in favor of this funding. And each time those budget requests were denied by the Democrats in Sacramento.”

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How Many Fresno County Voters Have Turned in Ballots?

Fresno County voters had returned 48,095 ballots through Monday, or eight days before the election.

That is well off the pace of 65,669 turned in for the same period in the last presidential primary of 2020; but ahead of the pace of 43,365 ballots returned in the midyear primary held in June 2022.

Presidential primaries generally have a higher turnout than non-presidential election years.

Fresno County had 506,668 registered voters through Feb. 20. By party, 39% are Democrats; 32% are Republicans; and 21% are no party preference.

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Write-Ins Qualify for Fong’s Assembly Seat

Four write-in candidates qualified to run for Assembly District 32, currently represented by Vince Fong.

Fong, R-Bakersfield, will be the only name on the ballot officially, but he will also appear for voters in parts of Kern and Tulare counties a second time, running for Congress. The legality of that matter — running for two offices at the same time, interpreted for a century as illegal — is pending appeal, and will likely be decided after the March 5 election conclusion.

Those qualified include:

• Ian David Smith, R-Bakersfield; businessman
• Ken Weir, R-Bakersfield; Bakersfield City Councilmember
• Thomas Joseph Willis, R-Bakersfield; veterinarian
• David Duane Wood, D-Three Rivers; retired psychologist

This practically means that Fong and whoever garners the most write-in votes will advance to the November general election.

Also, James Cardoza qualified as a write-in for Congressional District 20. He is also running in the March 19 special election to fill the CD 20 vacant seat.

What chances does a write-in have? Not much. But, there was a certain write-in candidate in a non-political race who won in 1974.

Fans elected Steve Garvey to the MLB All-Star Game, even though his name wasn’t on the printed ballot. Garvey, R-Palm Desert, is running for U.S. Senate this year.

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