Fresno Unified School District election night roundup. Arias has big lead

Early results are in for the Fresno Unified trustee race while in-person ballots are still being counted.

Area 7 incumbent Susan Wittrup ran unopposed and will continue overseeing the district’s Bullard High School region. Here’s a look at the contested races as of around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Area 1, Edison

The race to oversee the district’s Edison High School region is packed with five candidates, though early voters appear to lean toward Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, who has 42.32% of votes so far.

Daren Miller, a retired educator, has 18.80% of votes. Rizpah Bellard, a rancher and educator, currently has 15.02% of votes, while Michelle Escobar Longoria — a businesswoman — has 13.53%. Deshunna Monay Ricks, a CEO, has 10.17% of votes counted so far.

The incumbent, Keshia Thomas, did not seek re-election and is running for city council.

Area 3, Sunnyside

Incumbent Valerie Davis is currently leading in the race to represent the southeastern portion of the district with 53.01% of votes.

Riley Talford, a juvenile corrections supervisor, has 46.33% of votes.

Area 4, McLane

The race to represent Fresno Unified’s McLane High School region is being led by Karen Steed, a retired teacher, who has 39.83% of votes so far.

Incumbent Veva Islas has 32.80% of votes. Mirna Garcia, a parent and small businesswoman, currently has 27.03% of votes.

Additional updates are slated to arrive around 11:30 p.m. Check back in later for updates.

This story was originally published November 3, 2026 at 9:59 PM.