Nick Richardson widened his lead in the Fresno City Council District 6 race with the latest vote count released Friday afternoon, gaining 250 votes to hold an 849-vote advantage. Richardson now has 51.35% of the vote, compared to Roger Bonakdar’s 48.56%.

Initial returns on Nov. 5, covering ballots received through Nov. 2, showed Bonakdar leading by 293 votes. However, his lead steadily shrank with subsequent updates. By the end of election night, Richardson overtook Bonakdar and has maintained his lead since.

Voters have until Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. to cure ballots with signature issues. Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus said the election will be certified by Dec. 3.

Turnout for Fresno County’s general election appears to have dropped compared to the 75% recorded during the 2020 presidential election. Projections for turnout based on the remaining votes is 62%.

On Friday, Fresno County added 36,000 votes to the count, leaving 13,200 ballots outstanding. This includes about 8,000 vote-by-mail ballots, 5,200 conditional or provisional ballots, and ballots needing signature cures. Not all outstanding ballots are in District 6.

The next update is scheduled for Monday by 5 p.m.

Related Story: How Will Election Winners Bredefeld and Chavez Fit in as Supervisors?

A Political Upset?

Some political pundits GV Wire spoke with call this one of the biggest political upsets in Fresno history. Bonakdar held the fundraising advantage by a greater than 8-to-1 ratio as of the last reporting date on Oct. 19. Bonakdar raised nearly a half-million dollars.

Bonakdar also had endorsements from several law enforcement groups, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and the county Republican Party. Three city councilmembers — Annalisa Perea, Mike Karbassi and Tyler Maxwell — also endorsed Bonakdar.

Turnout: A Tale of Two Cities

The latest numbers from Fresno County’s two supervisor races confirm the outcomes but highlight a sharp disparity in voter turnout between north and south Fresno.

In District 2, encompassing much of north Fresno, parts of Clovis, and county islands, 68% of registered voters participated. In contrast, District 3, which covers south Fresno and surrounding areas, saw turnout at just 45%.

City councilmembers Garry Bredefeld and Luis Chavez decisively unseated incumbent supervisors. Bredefeld secured 53.74% of the vote in District 2, over Supervisor Steve Brandau, while Chavez won with 56.38% in District 3, over Supervisor Sal Quintero.

Chavez attributed the low turnout to a lack of competitiveness in the presidential race in California, where Vice President Kamala Harris easily carried the state despite losing Fresno County.

“We’re not a swing state. And Democrats didn’t have a contested primary either, yielding less energy and motivation to come out and vote. Less turnout in presidential interest leads to less turnout for local races,” Chavez said.

Additionally, many voters skipped the supervisor races on their ballots. In District 2, 16% left the contest blank, while 11% did the same in District 3.

District 3 voters are overwhelmingly registered Democrats, holding a 47%-19% advantage over Republicans. In District 2, Republicans maintain a narrower edge, with 39% compared to 35% for Democrats.