Preliminary results showed Merced County voters on Tuesday were split in their decisions on county supervisor races.
Early votes showed retired California Highway Patrol officer Luis Lara with a lead over District 3 incumbent Daron McDaniel. Meanwhile, District 5 Supervisor Scott Silveira held a comfortable lead over his challenger.
The two county supervisor races focused on public safety, roads, jobs and frustration with county services.
Preliminary results at 11 p.m. Tuesday showed Lara leading with about 58% of the 5,000 votes cast.
In the race for District 3, Silveira had more than 66% of the 4,000 votes cast.
Voters weighed experience against calls for change Tuesday in both races that could shape how the county handles roads, jobs, public safety, homelessness and services in rural communities.
In District 3, which includes Atwater, Winton, Beachwood-Franklin and McSwain, incumbent McDaniel faced challenger Lara, a recently retired California Highway Patrol officer from Atwater.
When early voting results showed Lara with a 15-point lead at 10 p.m., he was not yet ready to accept victory, saying more votes were still coming in.
“I’m excited for the numbers,” Lara said. “I’m excited for what the people are asking for. They’re asking for fresh ideas, new changes, new leadership and for Luis Lara for Merced County Supervisor.”
Lara said his hard work during the campaign helped him achieve that early lead.
“I worked hard for 10 months since I started the campaign,” he said. “I put in 150% into it, and had good support. This was just not me by myself. This is everybody.”
Leadership positions for Lara are nothing new in his 28-year career.
“I’ve been in leadership positions,” he said. “I’m on a Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union board for financial decisions, and I’m on the Merced County Fair Board for community decisions and everything. I’m ready to work for the community and ready to listen to people.”
McDaniel has held the seat since 2015. Lara campaigned as a first-time candidate, saying residents are tired of “business as usual.”
At his viewing party at the Tarmac in Atwater, McDaniel said, “He had nothing to say about it.”
Later, he added that there were still votes that needed to be counted.
In District 5, which includes Dos Palos, Los Banos, Dos Palos Wye, Midway, South Dos Palos, and Volta, two-term incumbent Supervisor Scott Silveira faced Miguel Alejandre, a Los Banos business owner running for office for the first time.
Silveria took an early lead by 9 p.m. Later updates showed the voting count holding steady.
“I’m confident that we’re going to be victorious,” Silveria said after the first round of votes showed a 30-point lead. “We worked really hard right to make sure that we got our message out.”
Silveria continued by expressing gratitude to his constituents for re-electing him and his campaign team for their work.
“I’m very blessed to have some really good folks around me that have helped me,” he said.
Alejandre was not available for comment before the story was published.
That race centered on the Westside, where residents and candidates discussed public safety, job growth, county services, roads, fire protection, hospital access and a proposed battery energy storage project south of Los Banos.
Together, the races tested voters’ satisfaction with the county’s direction. Both incumbents leaned on their records. Both challengers said county government officials need to show up more, communicate better and move faster.
District 3 race
McDaniel framed his campaign around results. During a Merced FOCUS debate, he pointed to work at Castle Commerce Center, the Atwater-Merced Expressway, Measure V road funding and efforts to bring state and federal money back to Merced County. He said the job is about “results, not talk, not politics.”
Lara focused on public safety, roads, the abandoned Castle Air Force Base, transparency and access to supervisors.
His 28 years with the CHP gave him leadership experience and a close view of emergencies in the county, Lara said. Residents want someone who is accessible and accountable, he said.
Castle Commerce Center became one of the sharpest contrasts in the District 3 race. Lara argued progress has been too slow since the base closed in 1995 and said the county needs a clearer plan.
McDaniel pushed back, saying Castle has drawn private investment, public funding and new jobs during his time in office.
The candidates also clashed over how residents should hear from county leaders. Lara called for more town halls, stronger social media outreach and the return of municipal advisory council meetings in places like McSwain.
McDaniel said county officials have worked to make budget and departmental information available. Still, officials need to do a better job of telling residents what the county government does for them, he said.
District 5 race
In District 5, Silveira leaned on his time in public office, including two terms on the Board of Supervisors and eight years on the Los Banos City Council. He told voters he understands how county government works and said public safety remains his top priority.
Alejandre leaned on his work as a business owner and his contact with residents. He said he owns businesses, including gyms and Pilates studios, and that people’s frustration with feeling uninformed or ignored pushed him to run.
Both District 5 candidates said public safety should remain a major county priority. Silveira backed the county’s current spending direction, saying that most discretionary funds go toward public safety. Alejandre also voiced support for first responders and tied public safety to quality of life.
The candidates also differed on economic development. Alejandre said the Westside needs to attract more companies focused on manufacturing, logistics, and distribution.
No single industry can solve the problem, Silveira said, and the county should make it easier for businesses to get permits and move projects forward.
The Westside’s long-running complaints about county attention also shaped the race. Alejandre said Los Banos, Dos Palos and nearby communities need stronger advocacy.
Silveira said the county has started bringing some services west, including a pilot program for documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and business filings.
Both races asked voters a similar question: keep leaders who say they know how to deliver inside county government, or choose challengers who say residents need a stronger voice from the outside.