Naindeep Singh has taken a narrow lead over Rob Fuentes in the Fresno City Council District 1 race, putting him in position to replace Annalisa Perea if voters keep him ahead on Nov. 3. Singh received 4,535 votes in the primary election, while Fuentes received 4,281.
That race matters because District 1 covers parts of the Tower District, the Fresno High area and neighborhoods west of Highway 99, putting the outcome squarely in the path of residents who will live with it every day. Singh, 48, is executive director of the Jakara Movement and a Central Unified trustee. Fuentes, 41, is a former assistant U.S. attorney, an instructor at San Joaquin College of Law and a trustee for the State Center Community College District.
The primary totals do not settle the contest, but they do set the terms. Singh’s margin is only 254 votes, enough to matter in a race this close and small enough to keep the final result unsettled until voters finish the job in the general election. His campaign has focused on affordable housing, lower city utility costs, support for local businesses and neighborhood infrastructure, along with rebuilding trust between residents and city leadership.
Fuentes has framed his campaign around affordability, public safety, homelessness and neighborhood development, with proposals that include addressing housing and utility costs, working with law enforcement and community organizations, and improving roads, sidewalks, street lighting and neighborhood parks. Singh has also drawn backing from the Fresno County Democratic Party, and reports have said the Fresno City Employees’ Association PAC and the Fresno Teachers’ Association have supported him as well. He has received endorsements from Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Anna Caballero and the California Working Families Party.
Voters still have one clear deadline. Fresno State will have a voting center in the Resnick Student Union from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and again on election day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For District 1, the primary gave Singh the edge. The final call comes on Nov. 3.
