Manteca mayoral race hangs by under 3% with 60% of ballots still uncounted

Jacob Naven leads incumbent Mayor Gurminder Singh by 696 votes in the Manteca mayoral race, a margin of 3.2 percentage points that could vanish as the remaining ballots are processed. With 40.3% of the 21,914 votes cast counted as of Monday, Naven sits at 51.6% while Singh trails at 48.4%. The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters has not yet certified the final results, leaving both candidates in a holding pattern until late November.

The campaign unfolded against a backdrop of unusual turmoil for the city of approximately 97,000 residents. Trouble first emerged in late August when two large campaign signs belonging to Singh were set on fire. Given Singh’s background as part of Manteca’s Indian community, the arson raised questions about whether the acts were motivated by hate. Singh responded by pledging to continue his work for the city, writing on social media that burning a sign with his name on it would not change how he showed up for Manteca. His opponent, Naven, condemned the vandalism and offered to help replace the destroyed signs.

In September, the race took a legal turn when the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office filed two misdemeanor counts against Singh. The charges stemmed from a promotional video featuring local chiropractor Matthew Alexander, who offered a $50 discount on first-time visits to his clinic for voters who supported Singh. Alexander withdrew the offer shortly after the charges were filed, stating he was unaware the promotion violated election law. Singh, who had endorsed the deal by saying it paid off to vote for your mayor, faced the charges while continuing to campaign.

One week before the November 3 general election, police reported a threat made against Singh over social media. The message suggested the mayor should be shot. Investigators identified a suspect, though neither the suspect’s name nor any arrests have been publicly announced. Both candidates have maintained a cautious public presence since the election.

Naven expressed optimism in a Friday social media post but insisted on counting every vote before declaring victory. He noted that the principle of hearing every voice is more important than being first to announce an outcome. Singh adopted a similar wait-and-see stance, urging supporters to keep the faith and stay positive as the count progressed. The Registrar of Voters has scheduled the final certification of results for a time after 5 p.m. on November 25.

The delay in final certification means the lead could shift as the remaining nearly 60% of ballots are tallied. Both candidates are currently focused on the procedural next steps rather than immediate celebration. Naven stated that getting Manteca’s future right is worth the wait.