See more pictures...

Today, voters will decide who will lead Fresno as Mayor for the next four years. It's a critical election for our city and all of us who live here. If you haven't already voted, please be sure to take the time to make your voice heard.

As the campaign comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank each one of the thousands of supporters who gave so generously of their time to walk neighborhoods, make phone calls, help with mailing, put up yard signs and all of the other things that have gotten us to this day. One of the things that makes America so great  is the enthusiasm of people just like you who choose to get directly involved in electing candidates whose vision they share. This past weekend, another large group of volunteers fanned out across the city again to talk directly with voters on behalf of our campaign. I am incredibly grateful.

Fresno will be a better city because of the time, treasure and commitment that you've given over the past many months. Thank you!

Today, I was very pleased to have received the endorsement of John Shegerian, CEO one of Fresno's largest "green" businesses. His company, Electronic Recyclers International, processes millions of tons of e-waste each year. The company also is known for "recycling lives" by giving job opportunities to reformed gang members. John Shegerian is proving that business and the city can partner together to make great things happen. Also on hand today were Mayor Alan Autry and Council President Blong Xiong, both of whom have endorsed me in the Mayor's race.

I simply cannot overstate how important it is that we continue to create more job opportunities in Fresno.  It's the only way we'll be able to achieve our goal of becoming a top tier city in California. Creating jobs requires executive leadership skills at City Hall and a focus on results rather than politics. I think the fact that I've been endorsed by 18 past presidents of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce proves that business leaders have confidence in my experience and in my vision for Fresno.

Today we celebrated Fresno's birthday with a downtown rally at Eaton Plaza Park. This was the spot where I began my campaign for Mayor, in the shadow of Fresno's landmark water tower.

Our city's history began not far from where we gathered today. As Fresno grew, parts of our community were left behind. It's a legacy that has contributed to serious problems which we are finally beginning to address in a comprehensive way.

I believe we've taken some important steps. Now we need to create the momentum that will lead to the improvements we need most: more good jobs, eradicating gangs, improving our air, and rebuilding neglected neighborhoods. That's why I'm running for Mayor of Fresno.

How exciting!  This morning, I attended the opening ceremonies for the Big Fresno Fair's. This year, the Fair is celebrating its 125th Anniversary.  It was a beautiful morning and the crowds were out early to start soaking up the fun.  The fair does so much for our community and it's wonderful to see so many folks enjoying the exhibits, rides, and my favorite -- fair food!  I admit to having some delicious fried mushrooms from Chicken Charlie's for my late morning snack...give 'em a try. Thanks to all of the fair workers who make the Fair a success every year and for all of those who work behind the scenes all year long to make it happen.

Strengthening neighborhoods is a cornerstone of my campaign. That’s why I was in one of Fresno’s most crime-challenged areas today to help residents there launch a “Band of Neighbors” alert network. It's the neighborhood of El Dorado Park, which residents are working together to make safer for their families.

They heard about a service called “Band of Neighbors” which was developed by local entrepreneur Bob Hayden, with support from the Central Valley Business Incubator. The system allows neighborhood residents to quickly share urgent information with each other via cell phone. For instance, if one neighbor sees suspicious activity, they can call the Band of Neighbors service and a warning is quickly sent to all the Band of Neighbors users in their network.

Cost was preventing the El Dorado residents from being able to launch a Band of Neighbors network. So, I decided to reach out to the local business community to help underwrite the service for them. Sam Geil, President of Geil Enterprises, Inc. stepped forward immediately. The residents of El Dorado Park now have use the latest high-tech tool for keeping their neighborhood safer for their families.

These are the kinds of partnerships that I believe can help us transform disadvantaged neighborhoods and make them safer and stronger. That will benefit not only those who live there, but our city as a whole.

I was really pleased to announce this week that Assemblymembers Mike Villines and Juan Arambula endorsed my candidacy for mayor.  Focusing on solving Fresno's problems - not on partisan politics - is what this campaign is all about.  It is time to move Fresno forward, and Mike and Juan certainly agree with that.  Mike and Juan will join me on Friday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Pardini's for a fundraising event celebrating Fresno's future.  For more information on this event, please contact Christa at christa@ashley4mayor.com or (559) 392-8454.  Sponsorships are still available.  Hope to see you there!

Well, it’s “back to school” week in Fresno so that means that summer is winding down, vacations are over and everything is getting back into full swing. While I’ve stayed very busy with the campaign, my family and I also enjoyed spending some relaxing time together. I hope you were able to do the same thing.

It was encouraging to hear last week about the improvements in student performance in the Fresno Unified School District. For the third straight year, Fresno Unified students scored better on Math and English Language tests that the year before. Much more work remains to be done, of course, to ensure students in Fresno – no matter what part of the city they live in – are learning the skills they need to succeed.

I was also very pleased that Fresno Unified and the City of Fresno held a joint meeting recently. While it was an overdue discussion, it was an important first step in building a working relationship that can benefit both in a variety of ways – including saving taxpayer dollars. As Mayor, I’d have similar discussions with all of our local school districts, from Central Unified to West Fresno.

The days of individual organizations working in silos – disengaged from each other – has to end if Fresno is going to be the top tier city it needs to become.

Today is Election Day and I’ve been busy since early morning, visiting polling places around Fresno to talk with voters one more time as they arrive to cast their ballots. Then, at about 9am, my husband Paul and I cast our own ballots at our neighborhood poll location.

Even though we have now been campaigning for seven months, I am feeling incredibly energized by the encouragement and support I have received from across our diverse community. While we sometimes bring different perspectives on individual issues, the voters I have talked with have embraced our vision for moving Fresno into the top tier of California cities - with a quality of life second to none.

I am so thankful to all of you who have supported my campaign, walked precincts, made contributions, put signs in your yard and helped in so many other ways. Thanks to you, we have already made a difference in the way Fresno is thinking about the future of our city. I am excited about what we will be able to accomplish together in the months and years ahead.  

Finally, if you have not voted yet, please be sure to do so before 8pm. And remember that if you did not already mail your absentee ballot, you can turn it in to any polling location within the city of Fresno. With turnout expected to be lower than normal today, every vote is crucial to the success of our campaign.

It's been several weeks since I've posted a blog - lots of activity on the campaign trail!  I've been diligently walking precincts and am down to the last two that I want to cover before election day. I continue to get great input from voters throughout the City from the surveys we've hand delivered to almost 50,000 homes.  In general, people are very concerned about gangs, jobs, education, downtown revitalization, air quality, and urban sprawl.  There is also a sense of frustration that things need to be done differently in Fresno and that the same old approach to the same old problems is not going to move our city forward.  I wholeheartedly agree!
 
Over the last several weeks, I've also enjoyed attending a number of neighborhood meetings in people's homes.  Meeting with and hearing from the citizens of Fresno is by far the most rewarding part of the campaign trail.  It makes the process very worthwhile!  I am convinced more than ever that Fresno is a city at its "tipping point."  It's an exciting and important time.  We need every citizen of Fresno to engage in helping move our city forward.  If you're reading this right now, make sure you vote on Tuesday, June 3rd!  Your vote does count and will make a huge difference in this election and in the future of our community.