These are the Merced County races to watch for June 5 election

The Merced County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s Superintendent of Schools and a seat on the Board of Supervisors will the some of the most hotly contested local races on the June 5 primary ballot in Merced County.

District 5 Supervisor Jerry O'Banion last year announced his intention to retire after holding Westside for nearly 30 years.

That opened up the position to four candidates who filed to run before Wednesday’s deadline.

District 5 candidates include Santa Nella County Water District Director Patricia Ramos Anderson, business owner Richard De La Paz Jr., a legal clerk and advocate Lea Z. Hernandez Holguin and dairyman Scott Silveira, who also serves on the Los Banos City Council.

Merced County Superintendent of Schools Steve Tietjen was appointed to the post in 2016 after former Superintendent Steve Gomes retired mid-term. Tietjen is running for election and faces two opponents — Richard Lopez, the Merced River Union Elementary School District superintendent, and Gabriela Pantoja Sanchez, an educator and teacher.

Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II has won three elections, running uncontested in the last two. But he now faces a challenger in Stanislaus County Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Helms Lewis. The race marks the first time Morse has been challenged as an incumbent.

Several incumbents and appointed officials in Merced County are running for re-election unopposed.

Merced County Sheriff-Coroner Vern Warnke is running unopposed, seeking his second term in office.

District 3 Supervisor Daron McDaniel also is running for re-election unopposed, as are Assessor-Recorder Barbara Levey, Auditor-Controller Lisa Cardella-Presto, and Treasurer-Tax Collector Karen D. Adams.

Appointed Merced Superior Court judges Mark Bacciarini, Jeanne Schechter and Brian McCabe also are on the ballot and unopposed.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 4:01 PM with the headline "These are the Merced County races to watch for June 5 election."