Fresno County Superintendent Race Heats Up as Candidates Pitch on KMJ

Incumbent Dr. Michele Cantwell Copher and challenger Dr. Eimear O’Brien laid out competing visions in studio interviews with Philip Teresi on News Talk KMJ, seeking votes across Fresno County’s 32 school districts as the June 2, 2026 consolidated primary approaches. Mail in ballots are set to arrive in early May, compressing the campaign window to reach more than 200,000 students and the families who decide countywide policy.

The county superintendent’s office covers Fresno Unified, the state’s third largest district, and dozens of smaller systems where rural resource gaps are a recurring issue. Teresi’s program, Philip Teresi on KMJ, airs weekdays 2 to 6 p.m. on 580 AM and 105.9 FM and posts in studio interviews as podcasts on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, making the exchanges available to voters across Fresno, Clovis and outlying communities.

Cantwell Copher, first elected county superintendent in 2022, emphasized continuity and her three year record in the office. She said, “I am your incumbent, and I have cast the vision.” She added, “I've been doing the job very successfully for the last three years. I have respectfully engaged folks, and we have a very strong sense of exactly what our schools need and our students need.” Cantwell Copher lists endorsements from Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni and Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her.

O’Brien is drawing attention for a different mix of credentials and priorities. A former Clovis Unified teacher, principal and superintendent who led Clovis Unified from 2017 to 2023, she came out of an 18 month retirement earlier this year to serve as interim superintendent of Central Unified. At an event that drew former county superintendents Jim Yovino and Larry Powell, Powell told the crowd, “I think it says a lot when two former superintendents support a candidate. We know her. We've seen her operate. We've seen how she's worked with small districts.” In her KMJ appearance, O’Brien focused on lifting student reading levels, directing resources to underserved rural school districts and supporting teachers in and out of the classroom. She framed her approach around collaboration, saying, “I've always enjoyed a very positive relationship with all of these elected officials. We've worked together on numerous projects. We've stayed connected when we need to solve problems together.”

Campaign dynamics have sharpened with a high profile endorsement shift. Former county superintendent Jim Yovino, who supported Cantwell Copher in 2022, is reported to have endorsed O’Brien for the upcoming race. Cantwell Copher addressed that change directly in local coverage, saying, “It is very curious that for 25 years, Jim Yovino and I had a good working relationship. In the last three years, that's definitely changed with regard to his support of me, and I am as curious as the public is.”

A third candidate, Dr. Johnny Alvarado, is listed on the ballot but did not respond to KMJ’s interview offer. With mail ballots due in early May and the June 2 primary looming, county voters are watching how each campaign will translate broad priorities for literacy, rural equity and teacher supports into specific budgets and programs for the district networks that serve more than 200,000 students. Listeners can hear the full in studio conversations on KMJ’s platforms and find related segments via the KMJNOW app and podcast outlets.