Merced County 2026 primary election results are in. Here’s what to know

Merced County voters weighed in on key local, state and federal races in Tuesday’s primary election.

Results show clear leaders in supervisor contests, a tight three-way race for schools superintendent and Merced-area candidates advancing in higher-profile state and congressional races.

Vote tallies are as of Wednesday morning. Merced County said an update would be made no later than Friday at 5 p.m.

Here are key takeaways:

• Newcomer Luis Lara holds a strong 58.2% to 41.5% lead over incumbent Daron McDaniel in the District 3 Merced County Board of Supervisors race, which covers Atwater, Winton, Beachwood-Franklin and McSwain.
• Incumbent Scott Silveira is cruising to reelection in District 5, leading local business owner Miguel Alejandre 66.4% to 33.2%. The district includes Dos Palos and Los Banos.
• Richard Lopez, superintendent of Merced River School District, leads the race for Merced County superintendent of schools with 33% of the vote (7,285 votes). Ana Boyenga (28.2%) and Paula Heupel (27.9%) are locked in a tight battle for the second runoff spot. The winner of the superintendent race will replace Steve Tietjen, who announced last November he would retire at the end of his current term in December. The top two finishers will face off Nov. 3.
• Merced native and Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Gray is expected to advance from the 13th Congressional District primary with 42.4% of the vote. Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former mayor of Stockton, sits in second at 28.1%. Following Proposition 50 redistricting, the 13th District now extends north to include Stockton and French Camp, while Coalinga, Mendota and Huron are no longer in the district. Gray flipped the seat in 2024 by just 187 votes.
• Former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy, a Republican, leads the Assembly District 27 primary with 45.8% of the vote. He will face Democrat Brian Pacheco, a Fresno County supervisor, who pulled 40.8%, in the November runoff. More than half of Assembly District 27’s registered voters live in Merced County. The majority-Latino district spans parts of Fresno, Madera and Merced counties, including the city of Merced, Atwater, Delhi, Dos Palos, Le Grand, Livingston, Los Banos and Planada.
• Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria and Merced City Councilman and Republican Darin DuPont were in a tight battle in the State Senate District 14 primary. The district straddles Merced, Madera and Fresno counties and is currently held by Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, who is running for state treasurer.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.