ELECTION UPDATE: Lara surges way out front in race for supervisor District 3
• Lopez, Boyenga, Huepel vie for runoff spot • Murphy tops Pacheco in Assembly primary • DuPont edging out Soria in Senate primary • Gray easily wins primary, Lincoln advances
While those mailed-in ballots continue to arrive at the Elections Office, Luis Lara is sitting pretty as the likely new Merced County Supervisor for District 3 going into 2027.
The former CHP sergeant garnered 58.25 percent of the vote, or 2,951 votes, on Election Night compared to incumbent Supervisor Daron McDaniel’s 41.45 percent, or 2,100. The difference between the two as of Wednesday morning was 851 votes.
“These numbers show that we need change in Atwater and Merced,” Lara told the Times during his campaign watch party at the Castle Air Museum. “People are looking for fresh ideas. I want to make the best things happen for the communities of Merced County.”
Lara was surrounded by an at-capacity crowd on Election Night. The mood was jubilant and many people cheered as Lara was congratulated by family and friends.
As a member of the Board of Supervisors, McDaniel has represented the city of Atwater, the Castle Commerce Center, the Beachwood Franklin area, and a portion of northwest Merced since 2015. His third term in office will be completed at the end of this year.
Superintendent of Schools
It’s looking like a tight, three-way race between Richard Lopez, Ana Boyenga and Paula Heupel as the candidates vie for a spot in a runoff election to fill the open Merced County Superintendent of Schools position.
Lopez leads the field with 32.96 percent of the vote, or 7,285 votes; with Boyenga and Heupel close behind at 28.24 percent (6,240 votes) and 27.93 percent (6,172 votes) respectively, as of Wednesday morning. A fourth candidate, Aberto Velarde, was left in last place with only 10.5 percent of the vote.
The Top 2 candidates coming out of the Primary will face off in the November General Election.
“While these results are encouraging, we’re mindful that votes are still being counted,” Boyenga told the Times. “I’m incredibly grateful for the trust that voters have shown in our campaign. Throughout this race, we’ve focused on students, supporting educators, and ensuring every child in Merced County has the opportunity to succeed. Tonight is about gratitude, and I look forward to continuing my life’s work of serving Merced County.”
Said Heupel, “Tonight’s results reflect what many of us expected from the beginning. It’s a highly competitive race among experienced and dedicated candidates who have each spent years serving the students, families, and communities of Merced County.” Lopez told the Times:
“I’m feeling good about the results so far, we’ll get another update on Friday and see where that puts us, but it’s a good little cushion to have.
“The goal was to get to 50 percent but we knew that was a longshot with four candidates. Once we get the final numbers on Friday, we can go from there and start planning for the next five months before the election.”
Lopez, the current superintendent of the Merced River School District, watched the results come in alongside of his family who shared in the excitement of election night with him.
Silveira wins big
On the West Side, Merced County Supervisor Scott Silveira will secure a third term after what appears to be a resounding win on Tuesday night.
Silveira received 65.48 percent of the vote, or 3,084 votes, compared to challenger Miguel Angel Alejandre at 34.08 percent, or 1,605 votes.
Supervisor Silveira represents the cities of Los Banos, Dos Palos, and nearby smaller unincorporated areas.
Candidate on the rise
Mike Murphy, the former mayor of Merced, leads the field in his attempt to become this region’s next representative in the State Assembly.
Murphy received 46.4 percent of the vote, or 18,605 votes, compared to Brian Pacheco, who received 39.7 percent, or 15,913 votes, and Japjeet Singh Uppal who lagged behind at 13.9 percent, or 5,585 votes.
Murphy is the lone Republican in the District 27 race, and he will now face Pacheco, a Democrat from Fresno County, in a Top 2 runoff race to be decided in November.
“Things are looking great, but it’s early,” Murphy told the Times. “I’ve got the highest number of votes so the outlook is really good and I’m cautiously optimistic. There’ll be a lot of good data that comes out of this primary and I’ll be one of the Top 2 to make it out of this as we head into November. I would like to thank the people who have been working hard to support me and those who voted for me, and I’m looking forward to good things to come.”
California’s 27th State Assembly District covers a large portion of the western San Joaquin Valley, spanning across Merced, Madera, and Fresno counties.
DuPont edging out Soria
A second-year Merced City Councilman is edging out a seasoned state office holder in the Primary race for the District 14 seat in the State Senate.
As of Wednesday morning, DuPont held 43.6 percent of the vote, or 30,608, compared to Esmeralda Soria with 43.2 percent of the vote, or 30,319. A third candidate, Esmeralda Hurtado, had 13. 2 percent, with 9,232 votes.
“Looking at the district-wide election … I’ll be moving on to the November election in a strong showing,” DuPont told the Times. “I’m leading Merced and Madera counties, and we’re just working in Fresno County, where I am a little behind in what is obviously her backyard — but I’m feeling good.
“I’m exactly where I would think I would be at this point, but there is still a lot of work to do. In this election there is going to be a lot on the line where the next stage of California is going to be, and hopefully going into November we can pave a new way for California and the Central Valley.”
DuPont, 30, is the lone Republican in the race. Soria, 44, a Democrat from Fresno, is currently a member of the State Assembly representing District 27.
District 14 encompasses the western portion of the Central Valley, including all of Merced County and parts of western Fresno County.
Gray notches another win
Congressman Adam Gray secured a decisive Primary win in the race for the District 13 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The incumbent garnered 40.9 percent of the vote, or 20,481 votes; compared to his closest challenger, Kevin Lincoln, at 29.1 percent, or 14,577. Also in the race, Vin Kruttiventi had 16.6 percent, 8,332; and Daniel Garibay Rodriguez had 13.4 percent, or 6,689.
“I appreciate the strong support from voters across California’s 13th District,” Gray said in a press release. “It means a lot to represent the valley community where I was born and raised. Our campaign is focused on putting the valley first and earning support from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike by staying focused on what matters here: lowering costs, supporting working families, and getting the government working better.”
As the Top 2 coming out of the Primary, Gray and Lincoln will be heading to the November runoff. Gray is a Democrat from Merced, and Lincoln is a Republican from Stockton, where he previously served as mayor.
The 13th District spans across parts of five counties — Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Madera, and Fresno — encompassing cities such as Merced, Modesto, and parts of Stockton.
Voter Turnout
The Merced County Elections Office reported that voter turnout as of Wednesday morning was at 18.48 percent, with 25,220 ballots cast. The number of registered voters was listed at 136,490.
The next results from the Primary Election are expected no later than Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m.
Times reporters John Miller, Jonathan Whitaker and Robin Shepard contributed to this report.