While speculation continues to mount on who will run to succeed Jerry Dyer as Fresno mayor in 2028, the current occupant is not tipping his hand on whom he will support.

Politics 101 has heard names such as Assemblymember-turned-Fresno City Council candidate Joaquin Arambula and current councilmembers Tyler Maxwell, Mike Karbassi, and Nick Richardson as contenders.

Dyer is in his second and final term. Asked for his thoughts on a successor, Dyer would not speculate.

“You’re going to see a lot of names come up that are potential candidates for mayor. What I’ve learned over the year with any political office, that you have to wait until everyone declares. And then you can decide who’s actually going to be the ones running. It’s easy to talk about running for office — it’s really hard to do,” Dyer said.

In recent and past conversations with Politics 101, none of the candidates said they plan to run for mayor, yet. Arambula is running for city council, District 3 in 2026. Karbassi announced he is running for Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters in 2026.

Richardson said he intends to run for reelection in 2028, representing northeast Fresno. He said any whispers about greater aspirations “didn’t come from me.”

New Candidate Files for Fresno City Council

Joe Hinojosa, the city of Fresno’s ADA coordinator, is seeking a new job at the same address. He filed to run for city council in 2026 in District 1 — west-central Fresno.

Hinojosa is one of three candidates to officially file. Incumbent Annalisa Perea is eligible for a second term but plans to run for state Assembly instead.

“My slogan is going to be ‘Your neighbor, your voice,'” Hinojosa said. “I just want someone that’s truly going to honestly represent the community and District 1.”

The other candidates include State Center Community College District Trustee and federal prosecutor Rob Fuentes and Perea’s staffer, Mayra Campa. Perea said she will endorse Campa.

“The current candidates out there I don’t believe they’re truly from District 1. They are conventional politicians, right? I’m not a politician, but I want to serve the community in a different way,” Hinojosa said.

Hinojosa, 41, is registered with no party preference.

The primary is June 2, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two advance to the November 2026 general election.

Arambula Receives Contribution from Major Donor

A Democratic Party megadonor is getting involved in a Fresno City Council election.

Liz Simons contributed $5,900 to Joaquin Arambula, city financial disclosure records show.

According to Influence Watch, Simons, of Atherton, “is the daughter of billionaire retired hedge fund manager and Democratic political donor James Simons. She is the wife of Mark Heising, the founder of Medley Partners and chair of the Environmental Defense Fund.”

SF Gate reported in 2023 that Simons and Heising hosted a $33 million fundraiser at their home for then-President Joe Biden.