Jeremiah Williams leads Naramsen Goriel in council election for north-central Modesto
Community volunteer and small-business owner Jeremiah Williams was leading attorney Naramsen Goriel in Tuesday’s returns in the election to represent north-central Modesto on the City Council.
Williams had received 3,388 votes, or 68.6%, vs. 1,550 votes or 31.4% for Goriel in the latest results, which were released at 11:47 p.m. Tuesday. Turnout stood at 26.7% so far.
The Stanislaus County election office will continue to release updates in all the races countywide as it continues to count mail-in and other ballots.
“I want to thank all of the citizens of Modesto who have confidence in me to be their next council member,” Williams said. “I will not let you down. I will be all that you imagined and with your help I will be more.”
He also thanked Goriel for his love of the city and hoped in the future he would receive the desires of his heart.
Goriel also wished Williams well. “Congratulations to Jeremiah,” Goriel said. “He earned and deserved every single vote. ... I thank my team and volunteers and supporters.”
Goriel said he is certain Williams will do a great job and expressed hope the new City Council will succeed in addressing such issues as homelessness, housing and public safety. (Nick Bavaro and Eric Alvarez also were elected to the seven-member council but they run unopposed on the ballot.)
Williams, 57, owns Oak Crafts by Jeremiah, which makes kitchen cabinets, vanities and entertainment centers. He is an assistant pastor at the Revival Center United Pentecostal Church and a member of the North Modesto and Modesto Kiwanis clubs.
He has served as chairman of Modesto’s Fourth of July Parade for 12 years. He also has served on the Stanislaus County Fair board since 2015.
He had a slip in his campaign when he accepted a $500 contribution Oct. 14 from the Revival Center, in violation of IRS rules. While nonprofits can support ballot measures, they cannot support candidates.
Williams and his campaign treasurer, Cathy Gatewood, have called this an inadvertent oversight. Williams’ campaign has issued a $500 refund to the church, according to campaign finance forms filed with the City Clerk’s office.
Goriel, 38, became a criminal defense attorney in April 2021 and works in the Law Office of Aaron Villalobos. He also is a community organizer and co-founded Indivisible Stanislaus, part of a nationwide grass-roots progressive movement.
He is a co-founder of the Assyrian Democrats of Stanislaus County and serves on the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment. Goriel also is a board member of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society.
Bavaro ran unopposed to replace District 3 Councilman Bill Zoslocki, who resigned in April, to represent east Modesto, including the La Loma area. Alvarez ran unopposed to replace District 2 Councilman Tony Madrigal to represent west and south Modesto as well as downtown and the airport neighborhood.
Madrigal also could not run for reelection after serving two consecutive terms.
Bavaro received all 3,815 votes counted in his race as of 11:47 p.m. Alvarez had received 1,507 votes, or 95.9%, of the votes in his distric. Sebastian Jones qualified to have his votes counted as a District 2 write-in candidate, though his name did not appear on the ballot.
Jones has received 64 votes, or 4.1%, of the vote. Voter turnout stood at 13.8% as of late Tuesday.
Bavaro, 70, owns Bavaro Gingerich Employee Benefits and Insurance Services. He is a longtime member of the Empire Union School District board. He did not run for re-election Tuesday and said he will resign Wednesday and not serve until his successor takes office.
Alvarez, 30, is the Central Valley policy associate for Californians Together, which states on its website that it is dedicated to “championing the success of English language learners.” He belongs to the Central Valley Chamber of Commerce and served as its government relations committee chairman from 2018 until August.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:45 PM.
