Review note: Joaquin Arambula's own campaign site (home and "Meet Dr. Arambula" pages): describes him as an emergency-room physician trained in downtown Fresno who practiced for nearly a decade at a rural hospital in Selma, CA; the first Latino physician elected to the California Assembly, serving District 31 (60-plus percent of Fresno and rural Fresno County) since April 2016 and chairing the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services from 2016 to June 2023; author of the "Health4All" Medi-Cal-expansion bills; a father of three, elected to the Assembly six times. and Keshia Thomas's own campaign site: identifies her as "Advocate Keshia Thomas, M.Ed"; a 15-year Fresno educator (algebra/geometry teacher, 7th-8th grade math instructor, Careers Program director, and vice principal within Fresno Unified, plus prior work as a licensed cosmetologist and grocery-industry supervisor), holding a bachelor's and master's in education plus a teaching and an administrative credential; a mother of three and grandmother of one, and a lifelong Fresno resident. may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- www2.fresnocountyca.gov (opens in a new tab)Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters -- CFMR009 "Candidate List" for the Nov. 3, 2026 Consolidated Statewide General Election (printed 8/12/2026 5:37:13PM, post-filing-deadline): lists Fresno's three City Council district contests (5061, 5063, 5067), each Vote For 1 with exactly two qualified candidates -- Naindeep Singh ("Nonprofit Director/Trustee") and Rob Fuentes ("Educator/College Trustee") for District 1; Joaquin Arambula ("Doctor/Assemblymember") and Keshia Thomas ("Fresno Unified School District Trustee") for District 3; Nav Gurm ("Attorney/Small Businessman") and Ariana Martinez Lott ("Small Business Owner") for District 7 -- and carries each candidate's filed campaign website
- www2.fresnocountyca.gov (opens in a new tab)Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters -- CFMR001 "Contest/Candidate Proof List," filtered to Contests on Ballot, for the Nov. 3, 2026 election (printed 8/18/2026 8:39:55AM): independently confirms all three Fresno City Council district contests as ON BALLOT, and separately lists each seat's incumbent-of-record as not among the two November candidates -- Annalisa Perea (District 1, Elected), Miguel Angel Arias (District 3, Elected), and Nelson Esparza (District 7, Elected) -- confirming all three are open seats. Candidate statement filing dates for all six November candidates fall between 8/06/2026 and 8/07/2026
- fresno.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Fresno -- City Council page: names the sitting 7-member Council by district -- Annalisa Perea (District 1), Mike Karbassi (District 2), Miguel Arias (District 3), Tyler Maxwell (District 4), Brandon Vang (District 5), Nick Richardson (District 6), and Nelson Esparza (District 7, Council President)
- en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia's Fresno, California article: population 542,107 (2020 census), estimated 555,549 (2025); confirms Fresno's "Strong Mayor" form of government with Jerry Dyer as the sitting Mayor and Georgeanne White as City Manager
- gvwire.com (opens in a new tab)GV Wire (a Fresno-based nonprofit newsroom) -- "What Does the Money Say About Fresno City Council Races?" by Edward Smith (published 8/4/2026, fetched and read directly): reviews each of the six November candidates' FPPC campaign-finance filings for the May 17-June 30, 2026 period, reports each candidate's June 2, 2026 primary vote share, and covers each candidate's biographical background including two documented controversies -- Joaquin Arambula's March 2026 alcohol-rehab and divorce-filing disclosures, and Keshia Thomas's ongoing defamation lawsuit -- plus, for Rob Fuentes, a summary of Fresnoland's separate reporting on his ICE-related legal work and subsequent administrative leave
- drjoaquinarambula.com (opens in a new tab)Joaquin Arambula's own campaign site (home and "Meet Dr. Arambula" pages): describes him as an emergency-room physician trained in downtown Fresno who practiced for nearly a decade at a rural hospital in Selma, CA; the first Latino physician elected to the California Assembly, serving District 31 (60-plus percent of Fresno and rural Fresno County) since April 2016 and chairing the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services from 2016 to June 2023; author of the "Health4All" Medi-Cal-expansion bills; a father of three, elected to the Assembly six times
- keshiathomasfresnocitycouncil.com (opens in a new tab)Keshia Thomas's own campaign site: identifies her as "Advocate Keshia Thomas, M.Ed"; a 15-year Fresno educator (algebra/geometry teacher, 7th-8th grade math instructor, Careers Program director, and vice principal within Fresno Unified, plus prior work as a licensed cosmetologist and grocery-industry supervisor), holding a bachelor's and master's in education plus a teaching and an administrative credential; a mother of three and grandmother of one, and a lifelong Fresno resident
- vote411.org (opens in a new tab)League of Women Voters -- Vote411 voter guide, 'City of Fresno City Council Member, District 3' race (statewide All Races list): each candidate's self-submitted ballot designation and campaign contacts, plus answers to the League's questions -- top three priorities and qualifying background. Both candidates answered; Keshia Thomas's priorities answer is three bare words. Capture in data/nov-2026/sources/vote411/fresno-council-3.json.
Last updated October 6, 2026.
City of Fresno
Fresno City Council, District 3
This person would hold one of Fresno's seven district-elected City Council seats. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. Fresno is California's fifth-largest city, with about 555,600 residents. Fresno's Mayor is elected separately under the city's strong-mayor charter. The Mayor is not on this cycle's ballot. This seat is open. None of the cycle's three sitting district incumbents filed to run again.
Councilmember Miguel Arias is not seeking reelection, leaving this seat open. He is running for a Fresno Unified school board seat instead. Dr. Joaquin Arambula is a sitting California State Assemblymember and emergency room physician. He faces Keshia Thomas, a longtime Fresno Unified educator and former FUSD trustee. Thomas led the June 2, 2026 primary, 29.99% to Arambula's 27.6%. The top two meet in the November 3, 2026 general. Whoever gets more votes wins outright.
This person would hold Fresno's District 3 seat on a 7-member, district-elected City Council under the city's strong-mayor charter. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use for California's fifth-largest city, home to roughly 555,600 residents. Fresno's Mayor (Jerry Dyer) is elected separately and isn't on this cycle's ballot. This dataset found no source confirming this seat's exact term length or the city's council term-limit provision; GV Wire's own reporting mentions that Council President Nelson Esparza has proposed expanding the current limit, which at least confirms some limit exists today.
None of this cycle's three sitting district incumbents -- Annalisa Perea (District 1), Arias (District 3), and Nelson Esparza (District 7) -- filed to keep their council seat, per the county's own filing record, so all three of Fresno's Nov. 2026 council races are open seats rather than incumbent contests. The county's own candidate list shows Arias filed instead for a Fresno Unified school board seat this same election, occupation listed as "Parent/Councilmember/CEO" -- notable context, not this dataset's claim about his reason for leaving the council.
Joaquin Arambula
Joaquin Arambula is a sitting California State Assemblymember for District 31. The district covers more than 60% of Fresno, plus rural Fresno County. He has held the seat since April 2016. His own site says he is the first Latino physician elected to the Assembly. He trained as an emergency room physician in downtown Fresno. He then worked nearly a decade at a rural hospital in Selma, CA. He chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, 2016 to June 2023. He wrote the "Health4All" bills, which expanded Medi-Cal to undocumented adults. His filed ballot designation is "Doctor/Assemblymember." GV Wire reported a March 2026 disclosure about him. It showed he missed a month in the Legislature for alcohol rehab. GV Wire also reported that divorce filings alleged addictions to video games and marijuana. He trailed Thomas in the June primary, 27.6% to 29.99%.
Keshia Thomas
Keshia Thomas has worked 15 years as a Fresno educator and administrator. Her own site lists her roles within Fresno Unified. They are teacher, Careers Program director, and vice principal. She also worked earlier as a licensed cosmetologist and a grocery industry supervisor. Her filed ballot designation is "Fresno Unified School District Trustee." That title points to a prior elected term on that school board. She led the June primary, 29.99% to Arambula's 27.6%. GV Wire reported she faces an ongoing defamation lawsuit. Bullard High football coach Don Arax sued her after a 2022 podcast appearance. On that podcast, she accused him of using a racial slur against her son. GV Wire reports her account of the incident changed in a 2023 deposition. It changed again under oath in 2025. A jury trial was scheduled for later in 2026.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.