Elections

Here are the candidates for local, state, federal offices on March ballot in Stanislaus area

Voter Erma Cardenas drops her ballot in the drop box outside the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters office in Modesto, Calif., on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
Voter Erma Cardenas drops her ballot in the drop box outside the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters office in Modesto, Calif., on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. aalfaro@modbee.com

Stanislaus County voters will cast ballots in a number of local, state and congressional elections during the presidential primary March 5.

Modesto is holding a primary election for mayor because of charter amendments in Measure G, approved by city voters in 2022. A runoff will be held in November 2024 if the winner on March 5 does not get a majority of votes.

No contest emerged for three seats on the county Board of Supervisors. The incumbents get a free pass to another term, and six Superior Court judges are unopposed on the ballot.

More than a dozen candidates are running for two state Assembly and three congressional seats on the primary ballot.

California holds an open primary, with the top two vote-getters in state and congressional districts advancing to the November election, regardless of party affiliation and vote percentages. The candidates in the March 5 election include:

Modesto: Mayor Sue Zwahlen, seeking a second term. She’s challenged by Sebastian Jones and Dewey Bedford Jr.

County Board of Supervisors: Incumbents Vito Chiesa, Channce Condit and Matthew “Buck” Condit are not opposed.

Superior Court: Judges Joseph Distaso, Valli Israels, Sweena Pannu, Maria Ramos Ratliff, Stacy Speiller and Carrie Stephens are not opposed.

Assembly District 9: Republican incumbent Heath Flora of Ripon, challenged by Tami Nobriga, an American Independent and retired businesswoman from Lodi.

Assembly District 22: Republican incumbent Juan Alanis of Modesto, challenged by Democrat Jessica Self, a children’s advocate and businesswoman from Modesto.

U.S. Representative District 5: Republican incumbent Tom McClintock of El Dorado Hills, challenged by Democrat Michael Barkley, a lawyer and accountant from Manteca, and Steve Wozniak, a nonpartisan and business owner of Modesto.

U.S. Representative District 9: Democratic incumbent Josh Harder of Manteca, challenged by three Republicans: Khalid Jeffrey Jafri, an engineer and businessman from Tracy, Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, and John McBride, an athletic performance coach from Stockton.

U.S. Representative District 13: Republican incumbent John Duarte of Hilmar, challenged by former Democratic Assemblyman Adam Gray of Merced.

Riverbank Unified School District: Measure N would reauthorize $2.1 million in bonds for school repairs and improving student safety. The measure requires 55% voter approval.

This story was originally published December 29, 2023 at 5:00 PM.

Ken Carlson
The Modesto Bee
Ken Carlson covers county government and health care for The Modesto Bee. His coverage of public health, medicine, consumer health issues and the business of health care has appeared in The Bee for 15 years.
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