Neves, Solis retain seats as Kings County officials conclude counting votes

In the final election results, only 20,302 Kings voters, out of 61,622 registered, took the initiative to mail in or deliver a ballot. Kings County election officials were still dealing with provisional ballots four days after the general election and have whittled it down to 409 ballots as of Friday.

In one of Lemoore’s most visible contests, longtime supervisor Joe Neves withstood a challenge from Stratford political newcomer, Martin Chavez, to win yet another four-year term on the Kings County Board of Supervisors, District 1. 

The longtime supervisor has served on the Kings County Board of Supervisors since 1994, when he took on the incumbent, Jim Edwards. He has been one of Kings County’s longest-serving elected officials, easily winning elections every four years.

Kings County Election Results

Neves remained reserved despite his comfortable margin of victory. Kings County elections officials, said Neves, are still going through the ballots.

“They have some unprocessed ballots to go through,” he said. “Hopefully, it won’t change much. Everything worked out,” he added. “I just appreciate all of the support over the years. I look forward to serving the people of District 1.”

The 2022 election – at least in Lemoore – was somewhat quiet. There were no city council races and only one local school board contest, that being the race between longtime incumbent Lupe Solis and former teacher Tracy Landrus.

In an update from election night, new results helped Solis fend off the challenge from Landrus, as the former principal outpolled his opponent 902 votes to 783 to win his fourth four-year term on the Lemoore Union High School Board of Trustees.

Solis has a long history with Lemoore High School and has served the local school as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. He initially ran for the local board in 2010.

West Hills College Lemoore’s hopes of passing Measure J, a bond measure on Tuesday’s ballot designed to assist the local college in building new classrooms and labs to expand its paramedic, nursing, and health science programs, failed at the ballot box.

Had local voters approved the $8.6 million Measure, which required 55 percent of local voters, passage would have allowed the regional district to qualify for $21.9 million in state matching funds.

When all was said and done in a late update, local voters turned down Measure J, giving the school bond a 52.37% no vote.