The Ceres Chamber of Commerce is hosting a public Candidate Forum for Ceres City Council candidates on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth Street. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.
Each candidate will be given so many minutes to introduce themselves and their ideas for city leadership. Members of the audience will be allowed to write down questions of the candidates, which will be reviewed by the Chamber panels and possibly used.
The forum will give voters a chance to hear what’s on the minds of those who want to be elected to the Ceres City Council, said Chamber President Brandy Meyer.
Mayor Javier Lopez is seeking re-election and challenged by Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra and Planning Commissioner Gary M. Condit. All registered voters residing in the city of Ceres are eligible to vote in the mayoral election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Lopez was elected mayor in November 2020 over Bret Durossette in a 55.83 percent to 44.17 percent outcome.
District 3 Ceres City Councilman Bret Silveira – also serving as the appointed vice mayor – is being challenged by Planning Commissioner Cerina Otero. Only residents of District 3 can vote in that contest.
Silveira was elected in 2020 with 1,900 votes, edging out Juan Pablo Vazquez who collected 1,325 votes. Third and fourth place finishers, respectively, were Mohinder Singh Kanda with 807 votes and Brandy Meyer with 708 votes.
Otero was appointed to the Planning Commission on Dec. 12, 2022. She works for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department as a records manager.
Not participating in the forum is District 4 Councilman Daniel Martinez, who is a shoo-in for a four-year term since he garnered no challengers. Martinez was elected in 2022 to fill the unexpired term of Couper Condit that ends on Dec. 31. The seat was temporarily filled by Mike Kline after Couper Condit resigned in his first year in office.
Also uncontested is the city treasurer election whereby incumbent Kayla Martinez has no opposition.
The last day to register to vote for the Nov. 5 General Election is Oct. 21.
All California active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot with county elections offices beginning mailing by Oct. 7. Ballot drop-off locations open on Oct. 8. Mail ballots may be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or the Stanislaus County Elections office at 1021 I Street, Modesto.
Vote centers open for early in-person voting in Stanislaus County beginning on Oct. 26.
Mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Nov. 12, 2024 in order to be counted.
Voters in Ceres and the mostly western half of Stanislaus County voters will be deciding if Congressman John Duarte, R-Modesto, returns to the 13th Congressional District or is replaced by Adam Gray, a Merced Democrat and former state Assemblyman who lost two years ago. The eastern half of the county – including Hughson and most of Modesto – mostly falls within the 5th Congressional District occupied by Tom McClintock. McClintock is being challenged by perennial Democrat candidate Michael “Mike” Barkley of Manteca.
Eastern Stanislaus County residents – including Hughson – will vote in the 9th Assembly District. Currently Heath Flora, a Ripon Republican, holds the seat and remains popular with his voters. He is being challenged by Tami Nobriga, an American Independent Party candidate, retired advertising businesswoman and conservative Christian.
Voters in the 22nd State Assembly District will decide if Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, goes back to Sacramento or is replaced by Democrat Jessica Self. Self, a public defender who ran for the office two years ago, was defeated by Alanis by a margin of 58.1 percent to 41.9 percent. The 22nd Assembly district includes Ceres as well as Keyes, Modesto, Turlock, Empire, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande and Stevinson.
In the Yosemite Community College District Trustee Area 7, which encompasses Ceres, running are incumbent board trustee Antonio Aguilar and his challenger, M. Geri Vargas of Ceres, a retired executive assistant.
Voters in California will decide who will represent them in the U.S. Senate. Democratic Party candidate Rep. Adam Schiff is running against Republican Steve Garvey, a former professional baseball player. The winner will replace short-term appointee Senator Laphonza Butler.
The biggest contest is, of course, the presidential election in what has been the strangest candidate season in history. President Joe Biden went through the primary season as the Democratic Party nominee but was ousted due to political pressure. Vice President Kamala Harris is the nominee with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio were nominated as the Republican ticket.
