Prospective candidates for elected offices have until August 9 to get their nomination papers filled out and returned to the appropriate office in order to be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The start to the municipal campaign season got underway on July 15 with prospective candidates picking up nomination papers from City Clerk Fallon Martin at Ceres City Hall.
All the incumbents serving on the Ceres City Council have pulled papers. Mayor Javier Lopez is a verified candidate and his challenger, Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra has pulled papers but yet to return them.
Besides the mayor’s race, the Nov. 5 Ceres ballot includes the race for District 3 Ceres City Council seat occupied by Bret Silveira, who is serving as the appointed vice mayor. Silveira is running for re-election and being challenged by Cerina Otero, a member of the Ceres Planning Commission. On Friday Otero was verified to be on the ballot.
Also open is the District 4 Ceres City Council seat occupied by Daniel Martinez who also pulled papers to run for re-election. So far, nobody has shown interest in challenging him for the seat.
As of Tuesday, City treasurer Kayla Martinez is the only candidate who has pulled papers to run for re-election. She is the wife of Councilman Daniel Martinez.
Registered voters who are considering running for Ceres City Council should consult the council district map to determine which district they reside in. That map is available for viewing on the city’s website at https://ci.ceres.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/5386/Ceres-Adopted-Map-103-Parcel-2
Candidates must fill out and return nomination papers signed by at least 20 registered voters in their district, or the city of Ceres in the case of the mayor’s race. Candidates are advised to collect about 30 signatures in case some who sign their form prove not to be registered to vote.
The candidate nomination filing period closes Friday, August 9. If an eligible incumbent in a particular race does not file by the deadline of 5 p.m. on August 9, a five-day extension of the nomination period occurs to allow qualified voters, except incumbents, to file by a deadline of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14. Prior to qualifying as a candidate, the city clerk will verify the residency of each potential candidate through their nomination paperwork.
Three seats on the Ceres Unified School District Board of Trustees will be decided this fall. Those seats are Trustee Area 1, occupied by Brian de la Porte; Trustee Area 4 occupied by Faye Lane; and Trustee Area 7 occupied by Hugo Molina. De la Porte and Molina have pulled papers.
In the city of Hughson, two seats on the City Council are open this fall. Unlike their larger counterparts, Hughson still elects their councilmembers at large and not by district.
Picking up papers to run for re-election is incumbent Alan McFadon. The other seat that is open is presently occupied by Sam Rush who has not picked up papers nor indicated if he plans to run.
Hughson will elect a new mayor in 2026.
Hughson residents who seek to run must pick up candidate documents from the Hughson City Clerk at Hughson City Hall, 7018 Pine Street, Hughson.
Nomination papers for non-city races are available at the Stanislaus County Elections Office, 1021 I Street, Suite 101, in Modesto.
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, who is an American Independent Party candidate, retired advertising businesswoman and conservative Christian.
Locally, voters of the 22nd State Assembly District will be deciding if Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, goes back to Sacramento or if he should be replaced by Democrat Jessica Self. Self, who is a public defender, ran for the office two years ago and was defeated by Alanis in a margin of 58.1 percent to 41.9 percent. The district includes Ceres as well as Keyes, Modesto, Turlock, Empire, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande and Stevinson.
Voters in the Hughson Unified School District will be electing board trustees in Area 1 and Area 3. Daniel Sexton has pulled papers for Trustee Area 3.
Two members on the Keyes Union School board are up for re-election. They are for Area 1 and Area 4. Incumbent Mike Bernal has filed for Area 4.
Voters in the Keyes Community Services District will be deciding on two board members for four-year terms and one board member for the two-year term. Kristina D. Vasquez, an appointed incumbent, has returned candidate papers to run for the four-year seat. So far there is no candidate for the short term.
In the Yosemite Community College District Trustee Area 7, which includes Ceres, running are incumbent board trustee Antonio Aguilar and his challenger, M. Geri Vargas of Ceres who is a retired executive assistant.
Other open races include:
• Two seats on the rural Ceres Fire Protection District. No candidates had signed up as of Tuesday.
• Three seats on the rural Hughson Fire Protection District. Only incumbent Mark A. Hughes has filed to run.
• Three seats on the Westport Fire Protection District board. So far the only candidate to materialize is John A. Varni, an incumbent board member.
• Two seats on the Riverdale Park Tract Community Services District of which there are no candidates thus far.
• Two seats on the Monterey Park Tract Community Services District, one a four-year seat and the other a two-year seat. No candidates had materialized as of Tuesday.
• Two seats on the Turlock Irrigation District board of directors (Division 1 and Division 4). Neither district covers Ceres.
Voters in California will be deciding who will represent them in the U.S. Senate. Democratic Party candidate Rep. Adam Schiff is running against Republican Steve Garvey, a well-known former professional baseball player. Whoever wins 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. Headed into the Democratic National Convention it appears that Vice President Kamala Harris is taking his place, although some predict a floor fight for delegates to come up with another candidate.
Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio were nominated as the Republican ticket weeks ago.
