Brandon Vang flexed an incumbent’s political muscle Tuesday night in his bid to retain the District 5 seat on the Fresno City Council.

With 13.6% of the votes counted, Vang had 51.98% of the vote, well ahead of runner-up Danielle Parra’s 30.50%.

To win a race outright in the primary, a candidate must secure 50% plus one vote. If no candidate meets that threshold, the top two vote-getters will meet in a November runoff.

Updated results are available at this link.

How the Race Shaped Up

In a somewhat sleepy race devoid of controversy until the closing days, Parra emerged as the chief challenger to Vang for the southeast Fresno City Council seat.

Perhaps the biggest distinction between Vang and Parra was their public stances on the Southeast Development Area. While Vang opposed SEDA “as it is,” Parra positioned herself as a pro-business, pro-housing candidate. SEDA, she said, is “an opportunity to shape the city’s future in a positive way.”

Parra, a State Center Community College District trustee, entered the race after initially saying she would run for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. Her campaign quickly attracted support in the form of financial contributions and endorsements from labor, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the Fresno County Democratic Party.

Dyer Endorses Parra

Late in the campaign, Parra received the endorsement of Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. In an Instagram post, Dyer said that he was “confident that she will deliver for the residents in southeast Fresno.”

Meanwhile, Vang earned the endorsement of various labor groups, too, including the Fresno Teachers Association, which vehemently opposes SEDA. Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua lent support to Vang, as did State Sen. Anna Caballero.

Vang’s Controversial Mailer

A mailer from the Vang campaign sparked controversy over its claim that the council was pushing to defund the city’s eviction protection program. Several council members rebutted that statement.

“Nobody on council has mentioned defunding EPP, not even by a dollar! Brandon also wasn’t even there when we created and passed this ordinance. It’s pure fearmongering. Why lie about it?” Councilmember Tyler Maxwell told The Fresno Bee.

Jose Leon Barraza, a longtime development director, ran a low-key campaign typical of someone who has tried for the District 5 seat several times without success.

Nickolas Wildstar is also a frequent candidate, having run for California governor, Fresno mayor and the City Council in the past.

Vang’s 2025 Victory

Vang won the short-term District 5 seat with 50.19% of the vote in a special election on March 18, 2025. He finished first in the race to determine the successor to Luis Chavez over a field that also included Chavez’s wife, Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, Leon Barraza and Paul Condon.

Fresno councilmembers serve four-year terms and are limited to two terms.