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Stockton

Lynch Leads Stockton District 5 Council Race

Desiree Lynch holds a semi-final lead over Brando Villapudua as ballot counting continues and results remain unofficial.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Civic Engagement

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Desiree Lynch holds a 54.12% lead over Brando Villapudua in Stockton's District 5 council race as ballots are still being counted, while she faces six felony charges. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Desiree Lynch leads the Stockton City Council District 5 race with 54.12% of the vote, against 45.88% for Brando Villapudua, according to semi-final results. The Registrar of Voters is still counting ballots, and the results are unofficial.

Why it matters

Lynch has said she would not accept the position if elected, while facing six felony charges tied to election-related offenses. The count and the pending court case together leave the District 5 seat's outcome unsettled.

Lynch holds 54.12% of the vote against Villapudua's 45.88%, with 167,288 of 415,611 registered voters' ballots counted and turnout at 40.3%. The Registrar of Voters has not yet finished counting, so the figures remain unofficial.

The players

Desiree Lynch

Desiree Lynch is a Stockton City Council candidate who leads the District 5 race in semi-final results and faces six felony charges.

Brando Villapudua

Brando Villapudua is a former District 5 council member who was elected in June 2022 and is trailing in the current semi-final count.

San Joaquin County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigations Political Corruption Unit

The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigations Political Corruption Unit is the county unit that detained Villapudua.

The details

Lynch was arrested on Aug. 19 on a local warrant alleging multiple felony election-related offenses, after prosecutors filed five felony charges on Aug. 18 in San Joaquin County Superior Court and added a sixth, possession of an assault weapon, on Sept. 2. Villapudua, who was elected to the District 5 seat in June 2022, was detained six days before the general election by the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigations Political Corruption Unit and released without charges.

Timeline

  1. June 2022: Villapudua was elected to the District 5 seat.

  2. Aug. 18: Prosecutors filed five felony charges against Lynch.

  3. Aug. 19: Lynch was arrested on a local warrant.

  4. Sept. 2: A sixth felony charge was added against Lynch.

  5. Nov. 16: Lynch is scheduled to return to court.

Civic Engagement

Under California Elections Code canvass rules, county registrars must complete counting and certify results before they become official, so the current 54.12% figure is a provisional snapshot rather than a final outcome. Turnout of 40.3% in this race will be compared against the final certified total once the count is closed.

District 5 residents will not know the official winner until the count is complete and certified, and a candidate who says she would decline the seat could leave the council position to be filled another way. Voters who cast ballots in the race should check the Registrar's official results once they are posted.

The takeaway

Election results are provisional until the county completes its count and certification, so readers should wait for official totals before drawing conclusions about the District 5 race.

What happens next

Lynch is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 16, and the Registrar of Voters will continue counting ballots until results are finalized.

Further reading

For more background on local voting and elections, see Civic Engagement coverage for Stockton.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Palm Springs Desert Sun.

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