Zeledon carries perseverance, self-determination in race for District 6 seat on Merced City Council
UPDATE: Yang Pao Thao was added to the candidate list for District 2 since this story was written. Thao is the current District 2 representative who was appointed after the resignation of Ronnie DeAnda. Felipe Rojas-Flores is also listed as a candidate in the District 2 race. Meanwhile, Lee Robert Boese, Jr. was added to the candidates list for District 4 since this story was written.
The mid-summer campaign season is starting to heat up as local races take shape for the General Election in November.
While there are some high-profile runoffs going on, attention is turning to the all-important races for City Council seats across Merced County.
In Merced, three council seats are on the ballot, and so far, as of Wednesday morning, according to the county’s candidate filing list, the only race with multiple candidates is the one for the District 6 seat that represents North Merced — neighborhoods north of Yosemite Avenue and Merced College, and including UC Merced.
Candidate John Bliss, a high school teacher, and Yader Zeledon, a Realtor, have already launched formal campaigns and filed paperwork with the Registrar of Voters. Incumbent Councilman Fue Xiong is not on the filing list as of Wednesday morning, and so far has not announced plans for a reelection run.
According to the Registrar, the deadline to file for a local government race is Aug. 7 if an incumbent candidate has registered for the race. If there is no incumbent listed by that time, the candidate nomination filing period is extended for all other entries (excluding the incumbent) to Aug. 12.
The Times will start its City Council candidate profiles this week with Zeledon, a barber turned Realtor with a remarkable story of escaping a troubled childhood and extended hardships through hard work and determination, and then making a comeback through small business and community service.
“I feel that District 6 deserves strong leadership, and somebody that is approachable, connected to the community, and willing to stand up for our neighborhoods and the city as a whole,” the 44-year-old candidate says.
“I am focused on the safety, growth, and livability of this community. Safety is not only about having enough police officers, but also about having a full fire department staff. I am also a firm believer in safety as it relates to shelter and being able to help the less fortunate. Growth is definitely something that we need in Merced at the present time — and it all starts with infrastructure. Livability is about us being able to take care of our neighborhoods, keep them clean and thriving, so that we can attract investors.”
Zeledon says he will prioritize modernizing Merced’s roads and utilities to support a growing population and ensure sustainable city services. He aims to bridge the gap between local talent and industry needs, fostering workforce training programs that prepare Merced residents for high-quality local jobs. And he firmly believes UC Merced and the High-Speed Rail project will transform Merced into a regional economic leader.
The candidate points out that single and multi-family dwellings throughout the city deserve equal safeguards. He supports the implementation of the “Repeat Housing Code Violators Program” as a crucial tool to preserve and upgrade neighborhoods throughout the city.
He also wants to pursue ways for the City of Merced to encourage investment from developers of residential homes and rental properties. “I have seen it firsthand when a buyer or investor walks away from a property that could support local tenants. In order for us to stabilize the local market in Merced, we could definitely look at ways to encourage investors and buyers to create more housing options for all of our residents.”
Trials and tribulations
Although Yader Zeledon says he is focused on the future, he also has been quite candid when talking to the Times about his past.
“My story is inherent to all humans who should know there are second chances with determination, resilience, hard work and most importantly faith, anything and everything is possible,” he says. “Like many families, I face challenges where the road seems uncertain, and as a troubled youth I overcame life-threatening violence, survived open-heart surgery, and as an adult I even beat cancer.”
Zeledon was born into a family of immigrants who escaped armed conflict in Nicaragua and landed in San Francisco seeking asylum and a better life in the United States.
When Zeledon was 6 years old, his family moved to Merced. He says his parents struggled financially but never gave up on the American Dream. Meanwhile, Zeledon attended local schools like Sheehy Elementary, Peterson Elementary, Hoover Junior High and Golden Valley High School. However, he only made it to his sophomore year.
Unfortunately, in these formative years, Zeledon started hanging around the wrong type of peers. Some of them were involved in gang-related activity. He witnessed street violence and got into fights at party gatherings that went sideways. At one point, as a young teen, he even suffered a gunshot wound.
The dark path led him to a tragic brawl in 1998 involving three other teens on a local high school campus. When it was over, one of them was left dead. Zeledon and two other juveniles were charged with crimes in the case. At age 15, Zeledon was sent to the California Youth Authority and was jailed for six years.
While serving time, Zeledon says he began the long journey of refocusing his life to become a productive citizen. He participated fully in the CYA’s firefighting program before being released at age 21. His juvenile criminal record was expunged.
Zeledon went on to work a variety of jobs in the local area, and within two years he became a homeowner. He married and welcomed two children into the world, but times were tough. He struggled through many challenging situations until he finally decided to attend a barber school in Fresno. After obtaining his license, he went to work at a popular barbershop, Luis & Bob’s, on Main Street in Merced.
Taking ownership
After five years as a barber, Zeledon opened his own shop in Downtown Merced in 2013, calling it Headquarterz Barbershop. It was there that his life continued to experience positive change. As a barber, he met hundreds of local residents and learned about their lives, their experiences and their concerns. He also became involved with an annual Christmas charity giveaway known as Cheerful Giving that was started by Tany Vega and Luis Velasquez. With the help of Zeledon as a passionate volunteer, the effort has grown and grown as hundreds of local families, many of them struggling financially, continue to enjoy a special holiday treat every year.
Still, the challenges have been non-stop for this eventual political candidate.
Zeledon endured open-heart surgery in 2019, and survived a colon cancer scare a year later. While many with similar health conditions might have withdrawn from career advancement, Zeledon remained determined and resilient, and he kept working hard. As a barber, he found himself in a position to network extensively and create more career opportunities. So it wasn’t long before Zeledon decided to pivot into a career as a Realtor in the local real estate market.
The energetic businessman earned his license in 2020 and has been working as a successful Realtor for the past six years — all while maintaining his barbershop and customer base.
And to top it off: During this time, Zeledon remarried to a high school sweetheart named Jenni — a local bookkeeper and the love of his life.
Together, the couple is currently developing a property management company while enjoying a combined family of five children.
Focus on the future
In 2024, Zeledon again confronted a serious and sudden life-threatening health condition — sepsis — but once again, battled back, and survived.
“I just want people — mainly young people — to know that there are second chances in life,” Zeledon says. “I’m very, very fortunate to be here today, and every day, because of everything that I’ve gone through.”
The candidate for City Council says he feels blessed to have an “amazing campaign team” and support from local residents.
“From my barber chair, I have had the opportunity to see so many residents in all walks of life — from everyday working-class people to doctors and lawyers. They have all come through my barbershop. So it’s been an amazing journey.”
Zeledon has received support from the local business community, including from insurance agent Annissa Fragoso, a standout with the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and housing developer Robert Dylina. The Merced County Association of Realtors is also supporting the candidate.