Long before there was news about the elections for Merced City Council in 2026, John Bliss was starting plans to run for the District 6 seat that represents North Merced neighborhoods beyond Yosemite Avenue and Merced College, and the annexed UC Merced campus.
Bliss is a lifelong resident and family man who has taught thousands of local students as a high school government teacher and basketball coach for 36 years. In 2018, he ran as a candidate for the District 6 seat against Delray Shelton but came up short by only six votes in a nail-biter final tally. Nevertheless, well over a year ago, a number of neighbors and friends approached Bliss and floated the idea of another run. One of them was actually Shelton — the former councilman and a competitor-turned-friend.
“There were a lot of people, including Delray, who helped make up my mind, but I had been thinking about it,” Bliss says. “I’ve taught AP government and politics my whole life, and I think a big part of me wanted to see what I could do as far as being a teacher in the classroom. And you know, some of the things that I learned as a teacher and taught my students I can apply as an actual city councilman.”
Bliss is now facing incumbent City Councilman Fue Xiong, whose name appeared on the candidate list just this week, and challenger Yader Zeledon, a local Realtor and barbershop owner. The deadline to file for the race is this Friday, Aug. 7.
While Councilman Xiong has consistently pushed for ways to rethink public safety into other areas of city government besides traditional funding for police staffing, equipment and enforcement programs, candidate Bliss highlights a platform of prioritizing city budgeting that fully staffs and equips police and fire departments.
“Residents want to see public safety as a focus,” Bliss says. “I think it should be for anybody running for City Council or any elected office. You have to consider public safety as the first pillar of any campaign. … and that would mean the fire department and the police department. You have to support them. Make sure they are fully staffed. Make sure that they have all the things they need to be safe and efficient. And in addition to that, hopefully you’re cutting down on things like response times. You are helping them do that with them being fully staffed with all the resources that they need to make that happen.”
Bliss also supports consistent enforcement of anti-camping and nuisance laws while getting people who are suffering on the street the services they need.
“We need to have good partnerships with other government agencies to provide addiction programs and mental health programs. The city is already making that happen, especially in the downtown area, and we can build on that.”
The candidate says he is equally committed to maintaining roads and infrastructure, specifically repairing potholes and improving road conditions across all the city’s neighborhoods.
And though Bliss would be representing residents in the north, he is also a strong believer in a clean and attractive Downtown Merced where events can bring together families and students while also supporting small businesses.
“You can’t lose sight of the core of our city — any city — because if you look at Fresno, they forgot about it right, and when they tried to go back, it was too late.”
The candidate stresses that there has to be “a balance” throughout the city, though he is well aware that big growth is coming to the area around the UC Merced campus — including thousands of homes, commercial developments, parks and schools.
“It’s growing fast, so we have a lot of things to get out in front of to make it happen. But again there has to be a balance. Yes, we’re going to have affordable housing. But we’re also going to have housing that people might aspire to as well, because we have a university out there that’s putting out professionals. And now, with the medical school, we’ll be putting out interns and new doctors. So we have to have some kind of aspiring housing circumstances, so that if they decide to do their residency here, maybe they want to purchase a home here too.”
Considering the candidate’s years of experience as a high school basketball coach, as well as a youth football coach, parks and recreation is also big on his list of things he can make an impact on for the benefit of the city.
“You know last night I was at the City Council meeting, and people were saying there’s not enough youth programs, and to be honest, I think that’s true. I’ve seen this too. … I’ll be trying to find ways to get out there and help people. I’ve always been that kind of person who wants to see things get better. … I have good relationships within the city school district and the high school district … In regards to how schools and the city work together, I think I can help a lot with that, because there are a lot of things we can do to get kids involved in healthy activities. … We can work together to make programs more available to kids.”
A legacy, and a new start
Bliss announced his candidacy for Merced City Council back in November, and his campaign kickoff was in March with an event that attracted about 100 local residents. He’s been campaigning and knocking on doors in District 6 ever since. He’s held multiple fundraisers and meet-and-greet opportunities, and there are more to come.
The candidate retired from a 36-year teaching career in June, and he is closing in on age 63.
Bliss grew up on a historic, fifth-generation family farm in the El Nido area that’s linked to his great-grandfather, an early ranching pioneer in southern Merced County. Bliss attended Plainsburg Elementary, Le Grand High School, and Fresno State where he obtained a history degree along with several minors, including political science, geography and agriculture.
He enjoyed school and the education system — so much so that when he graduated and went to work as a field biologist for a big company, he ended up turning down a significant promotion “because my lifelong dream was to be a high school teacher — and specifically a high school government teacher.”
That’s a story Bliss would go on to tell new high school students at the beginning of each semester.
His second aspiration was to become a varsity basketball coach, and he ended up doing that for 33 years.
Bliss has taught and coached at five high schools, including Clovis West, Roosevelt, Bullard, Merced High and Buhach Colony High. He has played an important part in many successful sports programs and championship seasons.
In his personal life, the candidate remarried in 2021 and enjoys a combined family of five children with his wife Christine. The youngest child is a junior at the University of Santa Barbara, and the oldest is a teacher at Dos Palos High School.
“They’re all successful,” Bliss says.
The candidate says his retirement from education means he can devote all his time and energy to the Merced City Council and help to make the city a better place to live.
“I think that’s important,” he says. “I want to be able to serve the council and the city like I did as a teacher and a coach. That will be my main focus.”
Bliss says he looks forward to working hard over the next few months to knock on more doors and speak to residents. He looks forward to debates with other candidates, including one he hopes will happen on the UC Merced campus.