Key updates to vote count in Fresno Co., close Assembly race
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The vote count is continuing over a week after California’s March 5 Presidential Primary Election.
Statewide, 6.85 million ballots have been tallied thus far, with 143,879 counted in Fresno County.
But still, 795,057 ballots are waiting to be counted throughout the state, with 6,275 in Fresno County, as of Wednesday.
“One of the main focuses of the California legislature with elections in particular, in California, has been the inclusion of as many voters as possible,” said James A. Kus, the Fresno County Registrar of Voters.
Kus says with that inclusivity and flexibility created for voters throughout the Golden State, mail-in ballots have continued to roll in even a week after election day.
“We accept ballots that are postmarked by Election Day, all the way up to yesterday,” Kus said. “So, we’ve had valid ballots coming in for seven days there.”
That’s the reality statewide, but at least in Fresno County, Kus says there is an end in sight.
“We’re looking to have final results out around the time of March 29 to the start of the next week there.”
As for one race that saw movement with the latest Fresno County results, one that continues to wait for more, is the race to replace incumbent Assemblymember Jim Patterson in California Assembly District 8.
Republican George Radanovich has already advanced to the November election and has a strong first-place lead.
However, the battle for who will face him is ongoing and saw Republican David Tangipa increase his lead for second over Democrat Caleb Helsel by over 2,000 votes.
Tangipa told me he always expected a tight race and says there is still work to do if he is indeed headed to the November Election to face off with Radanovich.
“Working with Supervisor Magsig, working with Jim Patterson, the work that I’ve done with Lisa Smittcamp on repealing Prop. 47, I think it’s being recognized locally. I just need to expand into those mountain communities. It’s such a large district, it’s the size of South Carolina,” said Tangipa.
Helsel, a substitute teacher who spoke to me in his first media interview, says it has been a rollercoaster watching the votes come in.
However, he says he is still confident and will be proud of his team no matter what the outcome is.
“I’d still be happy with them. You know, we ran a progressive campaign in a historically red district. A historically very red district. We fought hard in the polls, and we’re still fighting hard. So, I’d say I’m feeling pretty good,” he said.
