The fallout continues from Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang’s bungled call for more transparency at City Hall.

Wednesday, Vang and fellow councilmember Nick Richardson gave one of the more bizarre news conferences in recent memory, hurriedly talking about the importance of transparency and accountability in government contracts.

However, instead of offering specific plans to fix the problem or taking questions from the media, both walked away after finishing their remarks.

GV Wire columnist Bill McEwen blasted what he described as City Hall’s self-dealing.

Richardson later appeared on KMJ with Philip Teresi, where he effectively threw Vang under the bus. During a Thursday radio interview, Richardson said he was “blindsided” by the news conference, calling it a knee-jerk reaction to a Fresnoland story.

Because it was Vang’s news conference, Richardson told Teresi, it was up to him whether to answer questions. Richardson did not mention Vang by name.

Richardson said he also supports greater transparency.

Vang later sent two Facebook messages, reiterating his support for contract reform. He offered more specifics about review and oversight of city contracts under $100,000. In both messages, Vang said he would not offer further comment or take additional questions.

One City Hall insider told Politics 101 that Vang’s messages amounted to “satire.”

City Council President Mike Karbassi said he watched the news conference and later offered a comment to Politics 101.

“All I can suggest is for some folks to hire a consultant who can provide some pointers. I’m happy to suggest a great one in town,” Karbassi said.

Karbassi has used consultant Alex Tavlian in the past. Tavlian also held several contracts under Vang’s predecessor, District 5 councilmember Luis Chavez.

When Vang took office in April 2025, he immediately canceled Tavlian’s consulting contracts. On Wednesday, he called those contracts “deeply concerning.”

Judge Vogt Not Running For Re-Election

John F. Vogt, a Fresno County Superior Court judge since 2003, told Politics 101 he will not seek re-election in 2026.

“I am not seeking re-election. My fourth term concludes this year. I have not yet set my retirement date,” Vogt said.

Vogt’s decision will leave a rare open judicial seat. When judges leave office midterm, often due to retirement, the governor has the authority to appoint a replacement.

Only eight of the 46 judges currently on the Fresno County bench entered office through election. The rest were appointed by governors. One seat remains vacant after the appointment of Arlan Harrell to the 5th District Court of Appeal last year.

Vogt is one of the eight, first winning election in 2002 by defeating Peter Kapetan for an open seat. He later won re-election in 2008, 2014 and 2020.

Before his election, Vogt spent 15 years in the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Vogt’s wife, Sosi Chitakian Vogt, to the Madera County Superior Court bench in 2021.

Eighteen Fresno County judges are up for re-election on June 2. As of Friday morning, 15 incumbents had pulled papers to run. Of the remaining three, Vogt has confirmed he will not run. The intentions of judges Greg Fain and D Tyler Tharpe are unknown. Neither judge responded to a request for comment from Politics 101.

The declaration period for judicial candidates ends Feb. 4, but extends to Feb. 9 if an incumbent does not file.

Maher Drops Out of State Senate Race

Michael Maher has dropped his bid to run for the state Senate.

“The clearest calling in front of me right now is home. With one son in high school and the other not far behind, I want to be present for the everyday moments, like last night at baseball practice, or helping with homework at the dining room table, and to make up for the time we lost during my years of service,” Maher, R-Kingsburg, said in a news release.

That leaves Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, R-Clovis, as the front-runner for the 12th District seat, which includes parts of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties. Republicans have an 18-point registration advantage over Democrats as of October 2025.

Magsig reported $446,322 cash on hand as of June 30; updated figures are expected soon. Maher reported raising $17,315.

Maher also ran for Congress in 2022 and 2024, falling both times to incumbent Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

Clovis City Manager Receives Raise

Clovis City Manager Andrew Haussler received a built-in raise after the City Council approved it 5-0 at Monday’s meeting.

Haussler, now in his second year on the job, will receive a 10% raise, retroactive to Jan. 1. That includes a 3% cost-of-living raise all full-time employees received.

Haussler’s new annual salary is $290,808. The contract was also changed from a three-year term to open-ended. However, either party may terminate the contract at any time.