![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GVWire-Ad-Get-our-mobile-app-1280x90-1-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI did have the endorsements of Pastor Lewis and Criner, but they have rescinded their endorsements, and that flyer is no longer in circulation,\u201d Pacheco told Politics 101. Their names no longer appear on her website.<\/p>\n Despite Pacheco\u2019s comment, the endorsement of Lewis \u2014 of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church \u2014 stands, GV Wire has learned. Binion, of Westside Church of God, did not return calls to GV Wire. Pacheco said she changed the wording from Binion endorsing her to \u201csupporting\u201d at his request.<\/p>\n Pacheco and Karbassi are running in a six-person race for supervisor District 1. Incumbent Brian Pacheco (no relation) is not running for reelection, opting to run for state Assembly instead.<\/p>\n Pastor Edward Thomas of Impact Church Fresno is supporting Eric Payne, a nonprofit executive and former SCCCD trustee, in the race.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m focused on my own campaign. I\u2019m not focused on who is endorsing whom else, besides who\u2019s endorsing me,\u201d Pacheco said.<\/p>\n Two well-known names in politics have raised the most money in their respective Fresno County supervisor races.<\/p>\n Karbassi leads the pack for supervisor District 1, which covers northwest Fresno County, including a significant portion of the city\u2019s western area. Former Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims is the leading fundraiser for the District 4 race. The campaign figures cover Jan. 1 through April 18.<\/p>\n About half of Karbassi\u2019s funds are transfers from his city council account and an account set up when he considered running for Fresno County clerk. He reported raising $188,901.<\/p>\n Karbassi\u2019s top contributor is Shiralian Enterprises at $32,500 ($2,500 of that is slated for the general election; $30,000 per election cycle is the county limit).<\/p>\n West Hills Community College District Trustee Omar Hernandez pulled in $47,740. Nearly two-thirds came from a $30,000 contribution from Youth Save Democracy PAC<\/a>. The Fresno-based organization is co-founded by one-time congressional candidate Johnathan Burrows. It has raised $1.5 million from Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, according to FEC records. Most of the contributors are small-dollar amounts, with the most being $3,500 from two individuals.<\/p>\n The PAC said on its website its mission is to \u201cmobilizing young voters to strengthen democracy, protect voting rights, and fight against authoritarianism in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacheco raised $42,242. Her top contributor is $10,000 from Luz Cabrera, a Kerman property manager.<\/p>\n (Disclosure: Granville Homes contributed $4,700 to Karbassi\u2019s city council campaign account in 2019. That contribution was later transferred to his supervisor campaign account. Darius Assemi, CEO and president of Granville Homes, is the publisher of GV Wire.)<\/p>\n Mims raised $72,607, leading the District 4 race to replace Buddy Mendes, who is not running for re-election. He endorsed Mims. Her top contributor is $20,000 from developer Lance-Kashian & Company.<\/p>\n Nick Sahota, a Selma Unified trustee, raised $49,455, which includes a $5,500 loan to himself. Several gave $1,000 \u2014 the highest amount raised from individual contributors.<\/p>\n The other three candidates, Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran, Huron Mayor Rey Leon, and tax agent Charlie Soto, reported raising in the four-figures.<\/p>\n Video in Perea IE Is Familiar<\/p>\n An independent expenditure group called California Leads has produced at least three 30-second TV ads supporting Annalisa Perea for state Assembly. The spots have aired on ABC30 and KMPH Fox26 and may also air on other Fresno stations.<\/p>\n California Leads is funded by Google and Meta Platforms Inc. As the name implies, independent expenditures must be produced without coordination with the candidate it is supporting. A disclaimer at the end of the ad says it is \u201cnot authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n The three ads look suspiciously like the standard candidate ad \u2014 Perea is at a construction site; she is talking with a hardware shop owner; she is engaged in conversation with constituents; she is walking outside of Fresno City Hall looking busy.<\/p>\n The same footage can be found in a video on Perea\u2019s own campaign website.<\/p>\n While sharing video directly is not allowed, any IE can use publicly posted video for its own purposes. Perea\u2019s campaign conveniently has a 10-minute sizzle reel posted on Vimeo<\/a>. Those shots are used in both Perea\u2019s video and the California Leads ads.<\/p>\n The only invoices posted so far are from KMPH, showing California Leads buying more than $93,000 of TV time.<\/p>\n Above: An ad supporting Annalisa Perea from intendent expenditure group California Leads. Below, footage released by the official Perea campaign.<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Politics-101-logo-300-150x150.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Endorsed-Pacheco-Flyer.jpg\")
<\/a>An earlier Maria Pacheco campaign flyer, listing the endorsements of westside Fresno pastors.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Paul-Binion-B.T.-Lewis-and-DJ-Criner-GV-Wire-Composite.jpg\")
<\/a>Left to right; Pastors B.T. Lewis, Paul Binion, and DJ Criner once endorsed Maria Pacheco. Criner has changed his support. (GV Wire Composite)
\nSupervisor Fundraising Totals<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-Fresno-County-Supervisor-Candidates-Fundraising-1-1024x987.jpg\")
<\/a>2026 Fresno County Supervisor Candidates Fundraising
\nMims Leads District 4<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Santos-Garcia-Headshot-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Santos Garcia<\/p>\n