With fewer than 700 ballots left uncounted, it appears Sanger Unified Trustee Brandon Vang won the special election for the southeast Fresno City Council seat outright on Tuesday night.

Results thus far show Vang with 50.5% of the vote for District 5. Vang garnered 1,859 votes, ahead of his closest competitor, Fresno Unified Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas. Jonasson Rosas received 1,272 votes. Nonprofit leader Jose Leon Barraza trailed with 449 votes, Paul Condon earned 92 votes, and write-in candidate Nickolas Wildstar had 9 votes.

Vang told GV Wire he felt “ecstatic” after the results.

“It’s been a long three months. It looks like it’s going to come to a conclusion within the next hours or the next couple of days,” Vang said.

The 3,718 votes cast are 10.31% of total ballots in the southeast Fresno council district. In the most recent District 5 election in the 2022 midterm election, voter turnout came to just below 20% of voters.

If Vang’s lead above 50% stands, he will have won the election. The Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters will certify the election on April 4.

Only 580 ballots remain to be counted and 110 need correcting. Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus doesn’t expect another count before Thursday.

Fresno City Council Candidate Brandon Vang talks about his early lead. He’s a shade over 50% in the special election for the vacant district 5 seat in southeast #Fresno. pic.twitter.com/A9S4k2NQQq

— David Taub (@TaubGVWire) March 19, 2025

District 5 Election Turns Controversial Quickly

The special election is to replace former Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez who won the 2024 election for Fresno County supervisor. Vang ran against Chavez in the 2022 race.

The District 5 election turned controversial after an attack mailer against Vang alleged the Sanger Unified trustee had committed statutory rape when he had a child with then-15-year-old May Lee when he was 20 years old. Vang is still married to Lee.

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Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz launched an investigation that resulted in a $1,000 fine to dark money group Fresno Future Forward and its only reported officer, Riley Moore.

Political figures also leveled accusations against Jonasson Rosas and Chavez. Former state Assemblymember Juan Arambula and former Fresno Unified trustee Luisa Medina alleged in a complaint that a newsletter from Chavez paid for with district funds was more of a campaign mailer, violating state and federal election laws.

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They also claim Chavez directed staff to distribute that newsletter.

Chavez  vehemently denied those claims, saying they were politically motivated.

Vang, Jonasson Rosas Less Than $1,000 From Each Other

If money plays any role in elections, Vang and Jonasson Rosas were nearly neck-at-neck in fundraising. Vang’s $121,754 barely surpassed Jonasson $120,860. Barraza reported $21,350. Condon did not report any contributions. Wildstar reported $90 in donations.

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Most of Vang’s listed contributions came from individual donors, with many giving more than $1,000, some more than $5,000. Jonasson Rosas donors came largely from organizations, including labor groups.

Carpenter, plumber, engineer, and firefighter unions all donated to Jonasson Rosas. She also received endorsements from many city figures, including Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

What Do D5 Voters Say?

GV Wire went out to Sal Mosqueda Community Center to speak with District 5 voters. Most voters said homelessness was top of mind.

Debby Montoya, who voted for Jonasson, said in addition to homelessness, she wanted the city to take care of the dogs and cats roaming the street.

Juan Hernandez didn’t want to disclose whom he voted for but identified public safety as his biggest issue.

James Burchette didn’t want to say whom he voted for, either, but said homelessness is a big issue for the area. He said housing programs encourage more unhoused people to come to the area.

“What are we going to do, it’s a bad thing for this part of the city to have that,” Burchette said.

Alexander Orozco said he saw far more more mailers supporting the Jonasson Rosas campaign than from Vang’s. He only got one flyer from Barraza. He also said homelessness is the biggest issue the city faces. He wants a compassionate response from the city to answer the problem.