Merced County race results still coming in, nearly a week after Election Day. Who’s ahead?

Nearly a week after initial June 7 primary election results started coming in, the Merced County District Attorney’s race still looks like Nicole Silveira, 40, is leading by a considerable margin — and on track to take the reins of the office in January.

As of Tuesday morning, the Supervising Deputy District Attorney was pulling ahead 11,158, far ahead of the 5,455 votes for current District Attorney Kimberly Helms Lewis, 51, who was defending her seat this election season.

That’s a lead of about 67% in Silveira’s favor, ahead of 32.75% for Helms Lewis. About 40 votes, or 0.25%, are for write-in candidates.

The Merced County Registrar of Voters last updated election results Monday at 6:20 p.m.

“I guess the issues I spoke to were what people wanted to hear about,” Silveira told the Sun-Star in an interview last week. “My goals are to bring violent crime down.”

The DA’s race this election was one of the most highly-anticipated races in Merced County this year, pitting Helms Lewis against one of her employees, Silveira. Helms Lewis won her seat to the DA’s Office in 2018, defeating Larry Morse II, becoming the first female DA in Merced County’s history.

During Silveira’s campaign, an estimated 16 volunteers helped lead door-to-door canvassing, phone banking and other efforts, which could have helped achieve her wide margin in the polls.

“We worked as hard as we could and got out into the community,” Silveira said. “I had the sheriff’s endorsement, I had the police officers’ association endorsements, a lot of people from my office. I was very fortunate.”

Some of Silveira’s biggest campaign contributors include Quality Well Drillers, who donated $4,900 to her campaign. So did Weimer Farms, based in Atwater, and Silveira’s relatives. She raised a total of $38,100 through Dec. 31, 2021, but continued to raise campaign funds after that date.

In April, she received three donations from Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke, who also endorsed her. He contributed three amounts as an independent contributor – $500, $3,000 and $750, according to campaign contribution documents.

In total thus far, Silveira has raised $106,204.20 to date this calendar year and $38,100 last year, according to campaign disclosure statements. Her total expenditures amounted to $132,000.76 to date this year.

Kimberly Helms Lewis, the incumbent DA, raised $79,312.36 in total this year and $31,792 last year, according to campaign finance records. That includes $16,000 she contributed to her own campaign.

Two other donors, an individual named Michelle Alaniz and attorney Thomas Currey, both contributed $4,900 each as independent donors, two of her biggest. Total expenditures made to date amount to $56,334.58.

Helms Lewis declined to comment for this story.

The final day for the Elections Office to certify results is July 7.

Other races

Incumbent Steve Tietjen is still maintaining a strong lead of 8,913 votes, or 58.39%, over challenger Alberto Perfirio Lopez Velarde’s 6,279, according to the latest count.

Merced River School District’s Measure T is falling short of the 55% support it needs to pass. Just 24.62% of voters cast ballots with a “yes” vote for the measure compared to 75.38% voting “no.”

In the 13th Congressional District race, Assemblyman Adam Gray, a Democrat who represents Merced, 32.6% of votes as of Tuesday morning.

Gray’s closest competitor, Republican John Duarte, raked in 32% of votes. The top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the November midterm general election.

Fresno City Council member Esmeralda Soria, a Democrat, appears poised to face off in November against former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin, a Republican, in the 27th Assembly District race. Soria held 41.40% of votes Monday, just ahead of Pazin’s 34%.

Two Merced County Board of Supervisors seats, as well as the roles of sheriff and tax collector, were also on the primary ballot. The incumbents for those races each ran uncontested.

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 2:29 PM.