Merced County candidates scramble for last-minute votes

The final countdown to Election Day has begun, but the candidates seeking major Merced County offices aren’t getting any rest this weekend.

Despite expressing relief to be nearing the finish line of a long season of campaigning, many political contenders will hit the pavement the next few days to grab last-minute votes.

“We have a precinct walk planned and we’re going to an event Saturday night,” said Pat Lunney, a candidate for Merced County sheriff. “We think there is still a number of undecided voters out there.”

Lunney, the Merced County district attorney’s chief investigator, has touted his experience running large law enforcement agencies. The 67-year-old was chief of the Merced Police Department before taking a post at the state Justice Department, running its Division of Law Enforcement for more than four years.

He’ll face opposition from sheriff’s Sgt. Vern Warnke, who said he entered the sheriff’s race after deputies urged him to go for it. The veteran senior sergeant spent his entire career in the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, from 1979 to his partial retirement in 2008.

“This has been a very daunting task with a lot of hard work, but it’s very humbling to see all the folks that have helped me out,” Warnke, 56, said Friday. “This weekend, we’ve got precinct walks, phone calls and meet-and-greets. We’re still maintaining full steam ahead until the polls close.”

In the race for Merced County District 3 supervisor, voters will choose between Tony Dossetti, a Merced city councilman and former police chief, and Daron McDaniel, an Atwater businessman and congressional aide to Jeff Denham, R-Turlock.

McDaniel, 49, said he’ll be campaigning until the very last minute, ending when the polls close on Election Day.

“We’re knocking and talking and hitting about 1,400 houses tomorrow,” McDaniel told the Merced Sun-Star. “I see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I always play like I’m 10 points down.”

Both supervisorial candidates kicked off their campaigns more than a year ago, but Dossetti isn’t slowing down, either.

“It’s been a long, hard campaign, but we’re still going to be walking on Saturday,” said Dossetti, 65. “I really want to thank everybody, and we’re just hoping people get out and vote.”

In one of the most highly anticipated city races, Atwater voters will choose two new City Council members and possibly a new mayor.

Four candidates are vying for two Atwater council seats: retired fire Capt. James Vineyard, 57; pastor and retail executive Bill Barkman, 61; realtor Brian Raymond, 33; and former school employee Fernando Echevarria, 51.

Longtime Atwater Mayor Joan Faul, 73, is being challenged by Jim Price, 63. Price is the vice president of operations at Gemini Flight Support at Castle Airport.

In Livingston, two seats on the City Council are up for election: the mayor and one council seat. Mayor Rodrigo Espinoza is seeking re-election, but he has no challengers.

Mayor Pro Tem Gurpal Samra is running for another term in office, but he faces opposition from Planning Commissioner Mario Mendoza, whose brother is current Livingston Councilman David Mendoza.

Los Banos Mayor Mike Villalta, who’s running for re-election, will face off against Michael Amabile, who was mayor of Los Banos from 1994 until 2006. Los Banos Councilmen Scott Silveira and Tom Faria are seeking another term, but will be challenged by Ray Martinez and Refugio Morales Llamas.

In Gustine, Councilman Patrick Nagy will face opponents Bartolo Garcia and Ellen Brazil Hasness. Gustine Mayor Dennis Brazil is uncontested in his bid for re-election.

Dos Palos Councilwoman Alice Thompson filed for re-election, but had no challengers. Councilman John Gamboni will not seek re-election, so his seat will go to the only candidate running for that spot, longtime school trustee Thomas Pigg.

In the 16th Congressional District race, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, will face off against dairyman Johnny Tacherra. Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, will be challenged by write-in candidate and longtime Merced resident Jack Mobley.

State Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, is being challenged by Shawn Bagley.

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

This story was originally published October 31, 2014 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Merced County candidates scramble for last-minute votes."