City Council District 1 candidate Naindeep Singh widened his lead Thursday over challenger Rob Fuentes as the latest vote count put Singh 199 votes ahead.
In the tightest race for a city council seat, Singh has 5,299 votes, or 50.96% of the expected vote to Fuentes’s 5,100 votes, or 49.04% of the expected vote. Elections officials will provide another update on Tuesday.
Tensions between Fuentes and Singh have been high since the primary, with the candidates frequently exchanging barbs through the campaign season, making the race one of the most contentious and closely watched in Fresno.
Singh, a school board trustee and nonprofit leader, finished as the frontrunner in June with 38.69% of the vote. Fuentes, a law professor and community college board trustee, was a close runner-up with 36.52%, and the two advanced to the Nov. 3 general election.
Fresno’s District 1 covers a large portion of northwest and west-central Fresno, including Tower District, the Fresno High area, parts of Fig Garden, and areas west of Highway 99.
Final, certified results are expected around Thanksgiving, said Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus.
The Fresno Bee
A Valley native, Robert has worked at The Fresno Bee since 1994, covering various topics including education, business, courts and agriculture.