Now that the deadline for candidates to run in California’s June 2 primary election has arrived, a clearer picture of the political playing field has emerged in Merced County.
Generally speaking, most candidates running for state and local offices had until 5 p.m. Friday to file their required paperwork with elections officials, though there are exceptions. For offices where the incumbent is termed out or not running for another term, those candidates had until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 to file.
There’s still about three months to go until the primary, but Melvin E. Levey, Merced County’s registrar of voters, told The FOCUS things are already hopping at his office. Whether it’s verifying nomination signatures, recruiting poll workers, or reserving buildings to serve as voting centers, Levey explained, there’s no shortage of work in preparation for the primary.
“It will be busy now through the end of June,” Levey said.
Among important June 2 primary state and local races, Merced County voters will decide who represents them in Congress. Two local state Senate seats and an Assembly seat are on the ballot. Plus, voters will elect a new Merced County superintendent of schools, as incumbent Steve Tietjen is set to retire.
For statewide races, the top two vote getters proceed to the Nov. 3 general election. For Board of Supervisors and local races, the candidate who receives 50% plus one of the votes wins the primary election race outright. If no candidate achieves more than 50%, the top two candidates proceed to the Nov. 3 general election.
The deadline to register to vote in the primary election is May 18. Those who don’t meet the deadline will have to file a provisional ballot. Beyond the June primary election, there will be several city council races on the Nov. 3 ballot – including three seats on Merced City Council. Candidates for those races, however, have until July to file the required paperwork.
The following list includes the list of legislative candidates who filed their required paperwork by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline to be included on the June 2 primary ballot, with the exception of those races where there is no incumbent.
Please note, the names included on this list are preliminary, based on the most recent information provided by the county registrar of voter offices in the Valley.
The information is still pending official certification by the California Secretary of State at the end of this month. The Merced FOCUS will provide updates as necessary, including coverage of the issues around the election as the process moves forward.
House of Representatives California District 13
Incumbent Democrat Adam Gray will seek a second two-year term in office. One Democrat has filed papers to challenge Gray – a behavioral health manager named Daniel Garibay Rodriguez.
On the Republican side, Lathrop tech CEO Vin Kruttiventi was the first candidate to challenge Gray, and he remains in the race. Unlike other Valley counties, the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters does not include a CA-13 candidate list on their website, although a staffer there confirmed to The Merced FOCUS that former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln has filed his papers to challenge Gray as a Republican.
California’s 13th Congressional District includes Merced County in its entirety, plus parts of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Madera and Fresno counties. The district runs vertically through the San Joaquin Valley, roughly from Lathrop in the north to Coalinga in the south, including the city of Madera, with an eastern border that ends just west of Fresno/Clovis.
State Senate District 14
With Senator Anna Caballero termed out and set to run for State Treasurer, a new leader will step into the role of senator for District 14.
Three candidates thus far have filed all of their required paperwork to run. The first candidate to step forward was former Fresno City Council member Esmeralda Soria, who is wrapping up her term representing Assembly District 27. Two members of Valley city councils have stepped up to challenge Soria. Darin DuPont, an attorney who represents southeast Merced, launched his campaign last month and is running as a Republican. Esmeralda Hurtado, who represents Sanger’s District 1 in Fresno County, is also a Democratic contender in the race.
State Senate District 14 runs from around Livingston in the north to Coalinga in the south. It includes most of Merced County, and parts of Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties. That includes the cities of Merced, Chowchilla, Los Banos and Mendota and part of the city of Fresno.
State Assembly District 27
With Esmeralda Soria joining the race to fill the Senate District 14 seat, voters will choose a new face to represent Assembly District 27 in the state Legislature. Former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy has been eyeing that seat for a while, having stated his intention to run as a Republican nearly a year ago. Two Democrats are also prospecting for votes in Assembly District 27. Three-termFresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco and Livingston City Councilmember Japjeet Singh Uppal are contending for the seat, making Assembly District 27 one of the hottest Valley races to watch. Assembly District 27 includes most of Merced County, along with parts of Madera and Fresno counties.
Board of Supervisors races
Another exciting local primary race to watch is happening in the Atwater area, where a seasoned incumbent politician is facing a veteran lawman for the Board of Supervisors District 3 seat.
Supervisor Daron McDaniel, who was elected in 2014, is seeking a fourth term on the board. He’s being challenged by Luis Lara, a law enforcement officer and Atwater native who has served nearly three decades with the California Highway Patrol.
On Merced County’s west side, incumbent Supervisor Scott Silveira, who has served District 5 since 2019, will face businessman Miguel Alejandre as a challenger.
Merced County Superintendent of Schools
With the retirement of Steve Tietjen, a large crowd of local educators and administrators are stepping up to compete for his seat.
Because the Superintendent of Schools seat does not have an incumbent, the candidates all have until 5 p.m. March 11 to file their paperwork.
So far, two of Tietjen’s challengers from prior elections are back in campaign mode. Alberto Velarde, a longtime principal and administrator who ran against Tietjen in 2022, is listed as a candidate.
Richard Lopez, Merced River Union Elementary District superintendent, who ran against Tietjen in 2018, is also included on the candidate list.
Additional candidates include Paula Heupel, superintendent of El Nido School District, Ana Boyenga, assistant superintendent of educational services for Atwater Elementary School District and Ismael Munoz.