Selma Farmer and Trustee Nick Sahota Announces Bid for District 4 Supervisor

Narinder "Nick" Sahota, a Selma farmer, business owner and trustee on the Selma Unified School District board, announced on Feb. 20 that he is running for the District 4 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, the Mid Valley Times reported on Feb. 23. The announcement places a longtime Selma figure into the county-level contest for District 4.

In a separate Hanford Sentinel article headlined "Sahota announces bid for SUSD board of trustees seat," Sahota is quoted saying, "My name is Narinder 'Nick' Sahota, and I am running for Selma Unified School District's Board of Trustee seat in Area 2." In that statement he described himself as "a dedicated member of the Selma community for over 30 years" and noted "my three children who are still in the school system," framing education and pandemic-era vulnerability as campaign priorities: "This is especially important as our community's students are those that are most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to make an informed decision for the sake of our children's futures."

Sahota's Hanford Sentinel remarks list a string of community organizations and leadership posts he says he founded or led. He identified himself as founder of the Selma Business Alliance and the Selma United Sports Club, and said he "lead a volunteer action committee that has served over 45,000 meals to those in need within our community." He also cited service as President of the Selma Rotary Club, Director of the Selma Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Raisin Bargaining Association and Vice-Chair of the Fresno County Housing and Community Development committee.

The two items together describe Sahota as a Selma-based farmer and business owner with deep civic ties, but they also create an ambiguous timeline: the Mid Valley Times reported a Feb. 20 announcement for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 4 race while the Hanford Sentinel coverage presents a first-person declaration for a Selma Unified School District Board of Trustees Area 2 bid. The reports do not specify whether the school board and county supervisor filings are separate, concurrent or sequential.

Fresno County voters and election observers will ultimately depend on filings and calendars set by the Fresno County Registrar of Voters to determine the official candidate list for District 4. Mid Valley Times carried the Feb. 23 report of Sahota's Feb. 20 announcement; Sahota's full first-person statement and the organizations he cites are detailed in the Hanford Sentinel coverage.