There’s a rematch in the race for Madera’s District 4 City Council seat.
It wasn’t a close contest in 2020, when Anita Evans won almost 75% of the vote and unseated then-District 4 Councilmember Derek Robinson. In this November’s election , District 4 Councilmember Evans is seeking a second four-year term, but Robinson is standing in her way again. He wants his seat back and says the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted his ability to campaign in 2020.
Evans has been active in the community for years, starting organizations in town that host celebrations for Black History Month and Juneteenth. She says she has pushed for road upgrades and traffic safety projects that are now in the works in District 4, and also touts that the Fresno River, a place where homeless people often camp out , is much cleaner today than it was four years ago.
Robinson, a retired U.S. Army veteran and former juvenile hall counselor, served as District 4’s councilmember for eight years prior to losing the seat. He thinks the current council is failing Madera’s citizens and says the city showed more interest in filling the downtown area with cannabis stores in recent years than upgrading its infrastructure or keeping tabs on Madera Community Hospital . The hospital has been closed for nearly two years but is expected to reopen soon.