Mims surges in Fresno County supervisor race as ballots are counted

Former Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims was positioned to return to county politics with an outright victory that could put her on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors months sooner than a runoff would have allowed, and with a clear mandate over public safety, rural services and land-use fights across south Fresno County.

Early returns on June 2 showed Mims with 64.63% of the vote in the District 4 race, far ahead of Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran’s 12.11%. Fresno County officials said about 70,000 ballots still remained to be processed as of Thursday, June 4, and the registrar has said preliminary results are not final until canvass counting is complete. Certification of the June 2 primary is scheduled for July 10.

Even so, the early margin pointed to a sharp political comeback for Mims, who retired in January 2023 after 16 years as sheriff and 42 years in law enforcement. She began her career as a Kerman police officer in 1980, joined the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in 1983 and spent a long career building the countywide name recognition that now appears to be carrying her back into office. Mims said the numbers looked “really good,” but stopped short of declaring victory while ballots were still being counted.

The race opened when Buddy Mendes announced on October 8, 2025, that he would not seek reelection after 12 years on the board and endorsed Mims. Mendes said she knew the county and had the learning-curve advantage, while Mims said she preferred local public service over state or federal office because it kept her closer to direct public contact. Mendes said he would serve out his current term through 2026.

The contest drew Rey León of Huron, Narinder Sahota, Charlie Soto and Beltran into a field that rarely turned sharply negative. Instead, the candidates spent much of the campaign underscoring their records and qualifications while confronting Mims’ status as the best-known name on the ballot. That dynamic was visible at an April 15 forum, where Mims, León, Beltran and Sahota all backed the Better Roads, Safer Streets transportation sales tax proposal. Mims said failing to pass a roads measure would be “devastating for all communities,” while Sahota supported the tax but pressed for oversight so the money would not be misused.

That debate matters in District 4, which stretches through Selma, Reedley, Orange Cove, Huron, Coalinga and other rural communities where supervisors decide not only road funding but also public safety priorities and land-use policy. If Mims’ lead holds, county government would be getting back a former sheriff with an established countywide profile and a fast track to influence at a time when Fresno County is weighing how to manage growth, roads and law enforcement under shifting state and federal pressure.