Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi and Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco were strong frontrunners to nail down spots in a November runoff based on early returns Tuesday night for the District 1 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

With 14.13% of the vote counted, Karbassi led with 35.81% while Maria Pacheco had 26.53% in a field of six candidates battling to succeed Brian Pacheco.

To win a race outright in the primary, a candidate must secure 50% plus one vote.

Maria Pacheco and Brian Pacheco are not related.

See updated results at this link.

“We built a coalition of business, labor and law enforcement,” Karbassi said. “I’ve been through this before (in my City Council races), and I’m going to work hard all the way through November. People are tired of talk and want to see results, and that’s what I’m going to deliver.”

How the Race Shaped Up

After Brian Pacheco announced he would run for the Assembly District 27 seat at the urging of state Democratic leaders, six candidates filed to compete for the open seat.

Karbassi jumped into the race after initially saying he would challenge incumbent Fresno County Clerk James Kus for his seat in the June 2 primary.

Karbassi’s City Council District 2 and Supervisor District 1 share 18% of voters.

Maria Pacheco is the two-term mayor of Kerman, which comprises 8.6% of the supervisorial district’s voters.

Karbassi Led in Fundraising

Banking on his name recognition and previous campaign experience, Karbassi raised nearly $200,000 in 2026 campaign contributions.

Karbassi’s long list of endorsements included three sitting supervisors — Buddy Mendes, Gary Bredefeld, and Luis Chavez; Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, and county law enforcement and firefighting groups.

Candidate Omar Hernandez, a West Hills Community College trustee, and Maria Pacheco each received more than $40,000 in campaign contributions in the Jan.1 to April 18 reporting period, although Pacheco spent much of that early in the campaign.

Mendota Unified Trustee Lupe Flores, nonprofit director Eric Payne and Firebaugh City Councilmember Felipe Perez didn’t raise significant money, creating challenges for getting the word out about their campaigns.

Supervisors serve four-year terms, and the seats do not have term limits.