Diane Pearce says she is the candidate who champions conservative causes. Vong Mouanoutoua says he is the candidate who knows how to listen and build a coalition.
Both are Clovis city councilmembers. Both are registered Republicans. Both are running for an expected vacancy on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, currently held by Nathan Magsig.
Pearce and Mouanoutoua made their pitches Monday night to the Fresno County Republican National Hispanic Assembly.
Pearce and Mouanoutoua established different types of governance. Pearce said she was influenced by Rush Limbaugh and proudly crusades against LGBTQ+ material in the children’s section of the library, transgender athletes and sanctuary cities. Mouanoutoua highlighted his immigrant story and willingness to partner with others for the sake of public policy.
A vacancy right now is theoretical, though it seems likely. Magsig still has to win his state Senate election on Nov. 3 against Libertarian William Brown Jr. of Visalia. In the June primary, Magsig earned 60% of the vote. The 12th Senate District has 44% more GOP voters than Libertarians.
Magsig told The Fresno Bee he has “not yet” made an endorsement.
Fresno City Councilmembers Vong Mouanoutoua, left, and Diane Pearce debate at a meeting of the Fresno County Republican National Hispanic Assembly at Mama Iguana’s in Fresno on July 20, 2026. David Taub The Fresno Bee Differing views on Measure C successor
The candidates separated on the issue of the transportation tax. The proposed 30-year, $7 billion measure would succeed Measure C, which expires June 30, 2027.
Pearce called the plan “an absolute disaster. There’s no way that I would be supporting that.” She said the plan “gutted” regional projects, and spends more on public transportation than fixing roads.
Mouanoutoua was in the coalition to advance the Better Roads, Safe Streets plan, which included several social justice groups.
“Don’t ever listen to politicians when they explain an initiative you can read, an initiative you can look through and see if it is pushing you into buses, scaring you with bike lanes,” Mouanoutoua said.
He warned that 120 county jobs are at stake if a Measure C successor fails.
Mouanoutoua said the proposed measure has local control, and Clovis had a voice during its formation last year. Pearce said the process was “hijacked by social justice activists.”
Supervisors called for an economic study that is likely to delay placing the measure on the November ballot. It is slated to appear on the March 2028 ballot.
Pearce questions Mouanoutoua’s conservatism
Pearce went on the attack. She claimed that while she supported several other conservative causes — opposing Proposition 50, supporting ICE, attending a news conference for voter ID, attending memorial services for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk — Mouanoutoua was missing in action.
She called it one of the “biggest differences between myself and Vong.”
“Our country is on the brink of socialism. Our state is almost at the point of no return, and this county hangs on by this seat alone,” Pearce said.
Mouanoutoua said he had other obligations during the Kirk remembrances, and was not invited to other news conferences.
“You don’t invite others. How do they know that you have a press conference?” Mouanoutoua told The Bee after the event at Mama Iguana’s in north Fresno.
He said he shows up to community events like grand openings, police and fire graduations and ribbon cuttings.
“You will be hard-pressed — you can ask everyone — you will never find my opponent there,” Mouanoutoua said.
Mouanoutoua positioned himself as willing to work with others for the people.
“I learned that you couldn’t do anything by yourself. You can scream as loud as you want. You still needed three people, so that means you needed to be good with others,” Mouanoutoua said.
The soonest a special election to fill the remaining two years of Magsig’s term would be Feb. 23, 2027. Fresno County Board of Education Trustee Dr. Allen Clyde said he will run for the anticipated vacancy as well.
The Fresno Bee
David Taub joined the Fresno Bee in 2026 after reporting 10 years for digital publication GV Wire. He has worked in the Fresno market since 2007. Prior to moving to the Central Valley, he worked for TV and radio stations on the Central Coast. He has also worked behind the scenes in local TV and radio. During his career, he has covered City Hall, the state Capitol, the White House and several houses of government in between. When not in a reporting capacity, he works tracking stats for the Fresno Grizzlies as an official scorekeeper, and also with televised basketball and football games. He has worked the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and several MLB games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue!