FMTK CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL
2026 General Election Voter Guide
The voter guide provides endorsements for local, state and federal candidates that directly impact working families in our community.
This guide was created on behalf of 40 unions across Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings counties. Each candidate underwent a rigorous screening process by our 27 Executive Board Members and 150+ Delegates.
November 3, 2026 General Election
ENDORSEMENTS
U.S. Congress
Congressional District 5: Michael Masuda
Congressional District 21: Jim Costa
Congressional District 22: Randy Villegas
CA State Senate
State Senate District 12: Nathan Magsig
State Senate District 14: Esmeralda Soria
State Senate District 16: Melissa Hurtado
CA State Assembly
State Assembly District 27: Brian Pacheco
State Assembly District 31: Annalisa Perea
FRESNO COUNTY
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Michele Cantwell-Copher
Fresno County Board of Education: Kimberly Tapscott
Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 1: Maria Pacheco, Mike Karbassi
Fresno City Council 1: Naindeep Singh, Robert Fuentes
Fresno City Council 3: Dr. Joaquin Arambula
Fresno City Council 7: Ariana Martinez Lott, Nav Gurm
Fresno Unified Board Trustee Area 1: Rizpah Bellard
Fresno Unified Board Trustee Area 3: Riley Talford
Fresno Unified Board Trustee Area 7: Susan Writtup
Fresno County Judge: Ashley Paulson
Fresno County Measure S · Transportation Sales Tax: Support
Parlier Mayor: Lionel Lopez
MADERA COUNTY
Madera County Board of Supervisors District 5: Melanie Barker
Tulare County
Tulare County Board of Supervisors 4: Eddie Valero
Tulare Local Healthcare District Board Area 3: Jevon Price
Visalia City Council District 4: Emmanuel Soto
College of the Sequoias Governing Board Trustee Ward 1: Louis Lyons
College of the Sequoias Governing Board Trustee Ward 5: Susie Nava
Kings County
Hanford City Council District E: Victor Chavarin Jr.
State Center Community College District
State Center Community College District Area 1: Destiny Rodriguez
State Center Community College District Area 4: Magdalena Gomez
Statewide Ballot Measures
Prop 1 · The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act: Support
Prop 1 builds affordable homes for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, low- and middle-income working families, vulnerable Californians and essential workers—teachers, firefighters and nurses. It expands homeownership opportunities, fast-tracks affordable shovel-ready homes, helps those one crisis away from homelessness.
Prop 2 · Increases State’s Rainy Day Fund: Support
Prop 2 protects schools, healthcare, and public safety funding. Proposition 2 doubles the state’s Rainy Day Fund, stops politicians from overspending when there is a budget surplus, and ensures education funding continues during economic downturns. It has bipartisan support from firefighters, hospitals, health clinics, and educators.
Prop 3 · Funding for Schools by Extending Tax on High Incomes: Support
Prop 3 protects our schools and educators. It prevents a massive tax cut for millionaires and billionaires by maintaining the current tax rates the wealthiest 2% have paid for the last 15 years and requires strict accountability and audits to ensure school funding gets to classrooms.
Prop 4 · Repeals Ban on Public Funding of Election Campaigns: Support
California is the ONLY state that bans public funding of campaigns— communities in all other 49 states have this right. Special interests want to keep the ban to protect their power. Prop 4 gives voters the power to decide what’s best for their community and will make it easier for working people to run for office.
Prop 5 · Changes Recall Election Process for Statewide Officers: Support
Prop 5 restores the recall to its original purpose: removing corrupt officials. It closes the loophole that allows replacements to win with a small fraction of the vote, reducing the politics and costs of future recalls.
Prop 37 · Creates Loan Program for Middle-Income New Home Buyers: Support
Prop 37 makes buying a home more affordable, keeping homeownership attainable for hardworking and middle-class Californians, with low-interest mortgages.
Prop 38 · Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Medical Research: No Recommendation
No Recommendation
Prop 39 · Prohibits Citizens From Voting Unless They Present ID: Oppose
Prop 39 is voter suppression by adding costly, unnecessary barriers that could block eligible California voters, expose personal information to identity theft, and waste hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Vote No on 39.
Prop 40 · Billionaire Wealth Tax Initiative: Support
Deep federal cuts strip roughly $100 billion from California healthcare over the next five years—pushing our state toward a healthcare collapse that hurts California families. Insurance premiums will go up for everyone, millions of Californians will lose coverage altogether and 150,000 vital healthcare workers will lose their jobs. Prop 40 asks California’s billionaires to pay a one-time, 5% emergency billionaire tax to prevent the collapse of California healthcare and ensure our state’s families can get the care we need. Prop 40 is a common sense solution to a looming crisis and will help our state build a strong middle class.
Prop 41 · Requires Audits for New State Special Taxes: Oppose
Prop 41 isn’t really about audits—it’s a billionaire-funded trick designed to undo the California Billionaire Tax. Billionaires would rather millions of Californians lose healthcare than pay a modest tax on their extreme wealth. Don’t fall for the billionaires’ lies. Vote No on 41.
Prop 42 · Prohibits New State Personal Property Taxes: Oppose
Prop 42 is just another billionaire-funded trick. It isn’t really about protecting your retirement savings—its only real purpose is to undo the California Billionaire Tax. Billionaires would rather millions of Californians lose healthcare than pay a modest tax on their extreme wealth. Vote No on 42.
Prop 43 · Limits Voters' Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Services: Oppose
Prop 43 limits voters ability to fund essential local services including fire protection, 911 response, schools, roads, hospitals and affordable housing. It doesn’t cut your taxes and lets just 33.4% of voters veto what nearly 67% want. Protect your vote and majority rule and protect local services and jobs. Vote No on Prop 43.
Prop 44 · Requires Community Clinics Spend 90% of Revenue on Services: Support
Prop 44 holds community clinics and their executives accountable by requiring that 90% of clinic revenue be spent on clinics’ charitable mission: patient care and services that make care possible. It increases transparency, reduces wasteful executive spending, and ensures healthcare dollars go where they belong: caring for Californians in need.
Prop 45 · Limits CEQA Environmental Review and Public Input: Oppose
Prop 45 is an attack on our communities, our union jobs, and the clean air and water our families depend on. We need to stop it. Anti-union developers claim Prop 45 will make building cheaper. Cheaper for who? By weakening labor protections, they can cut wages and benefits, lower job standards, and pocket more of the savings. This is union busting, plain and simple. Wealthy CEOs are using their power to weaken our unions, drive down wages, and put worker safety at risk to boost their profits. Vote No on Prop 45
Endorsements for Propositions, U.S. Congress, CA State Senate and CA State Assembly races are provided by the California Federation of Labor Unions.
BE PREPARED
IMPORTANT DATES
- October 5 Ballots Mailed
- October 19 Last Day to Register to Vote
- October 24 First vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties
- November 3* Last day to vote in-person or return a ballot by 8:00 p.m. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
* Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked no later than November 3. If mailing on Election Day, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office.
How to vote
Any registered voter in California can decide whether to vote at a polling place or vote by mail.
register to vote
Register to vote, pre-register to vote or check your registration status.
QUICK FACTS
