Here’s the first announced challenger to Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes

José Ramírez – who was 28 years old when he became city manager of Orange Cove and later took that role in Firebaugh and Livingston – has his eyes set on writing history: Becoming the first Latino living outside the City of Fresno to serve on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

To do that, he must defeat two-term incumbent Buddy Mendes in District 4, whose map remains little changed since Ramírez grew up in a since-eliminated labor camp near Raisin City and attended Washington Union High School.

Ramírez, 50, announced his candidacy Thursday morning in front of the Fresno County Hall of Records, which houses the board. Among those expressing their support for Ramírez were former Assemblymember Juan Arámbula, who also served on the board.

“I’m a practical and effective leader who knows how to get things done,” said Ramírez at his kickoff event. “It’s about bringing new voices to the board. It’s about putting people over politics,” he said.

Mendes, a farmer in the Riverdale area, defeated Fowler City Councilmember Daniel Parra in 2014, and ran unopposed in 2018. Parra has expressed interest in running again.

Ramírez, who has filed a lawsuit against the Livingston City Council after it fired him last July in a move criticized by residents and county elected officials, lives in Selma. He lived in Fresno and commuted to Livingston for seven of the eight years he served the Merced County city.

“I’ve been a champion for the Valley,” said Ramírez in a Wednesday evening interview. He decided to run for supervisor after listening to community leaders. “I can make a difference here.”

Ramírez – whose endorsements include former Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante and former Los Ángeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – expects to raise $500,000 for a winning campaign.

“I understand and know the needs of the county and the region,” said Ramírez, who has a bachelor’s degree in construction management and a master’s degree in public administration from Fresno State.

“I’m running because I know how to get people resources; because I know that there’s a lot more state and federal resources that we can actually bring to our county,” said Ramírez, a father of six children ages 13 to 23.

Ramírez said he is very familiar with the district and its needs. District 4 is largely rural but includes nine of the county’s 15 cities. Driving from Coalinga on the west side of the district to Orange Cove on the east side can take more than 1½ hours.

The district is 74% Latino, but only 62% are voting-age citizens. In the November 2020 election, Latinos accounted for an estimated 57% of voters.

If Ramírez wins, Fresno County, with a 53.6% Latino population, would have two Latinos on the board of supervisors at the same time for the first time. (Supervisor Sal Quintero’s term is through 2025).

Ramírez, who has been active with the Fresno Latino Rotary Club, founded Community Development Inc. in 2015. The company handles project development, affordable housing and consulting.

He worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation before he went into public administration.

“Public service is in my DNA,” said Ramírez, who developed an interest in city government as a college intern for Clovis when he was encouraged by city manager Kathy Millison to go into public administration.

“I found out it’s about getting people the resources they need,” he said. “I consider myself a social entrepreneur, helping people and helping people help themselves.”

Arámbula, at Thursday’s press conference, praised Ramírez’s background.

“Ramírez knows how to get things done. He doesn’t yell at people. He listens and he works with everyone to make things better,” said Arámbula. “He brings a successful career as a city manager, a private businessman, a philanthropist, and a civic leader to the board of supervisors.”