Voters will choose between an incumbent who has faced several controversies during his time in office and a challenger who was arrested for alleged election fraud to represent Stockton City Council District 5 in the Nov. 3 general election.
Councilmember Brando Villapudua will face off against candidate Desiree Lynch. Although Lynch said she withdrew from the race
, her name will still appear on the ballot.The district covers the south-central part of the city, with a total population of 51,649, according to the 2020 Census. It includes places such as the Cesar Chavez Central Library, Weber Point Events Center, Stribley Park and the Stribley Community Center.
Villapudua was elected to the District 5 seat in June 2022 and assumed office on Jan.
1, 2023. His current term ends on Jan. 1, 2027.
Lynch, a mother and post-surgery recovery nurse, said during an April forum that she has lived in the district for less than a year but has long worked as an advocate.
In the June 2 primary election, Villapudua and Lynch advanced to the general election after defeating four other candidates. Villapudua led with 1,173 votes, or 34.04%, while Lynch followed with 1,054 votes, or 30.59%, according to the official election results.
Time on the council
At 10:35 a.m. on Sept. 30, The Record reached out to Villapudua to schedule a candidate interview and give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates ahead of Election Day.
On the same day, Villapudua responded via email, “Please send over your questions and I will get them back to you as soon as possible.” After interview questions were sent to Villapudua, he did not respond by the deadline.
Villapudua, a Stockton native, has more than three years of experience serving as a councilman for Stockton.
His campaign page lists economic opportunities, community investment, youth and education, public safety and accountable leadership as priorities.
During his time in office, he has backed projects such as the reopening of Columbus Park and the Sousa Park pool. He has also attended celebrations for the renovations of Satellite apartments and the wall-raising ceremony for the Grant Street Apartments in his district.
In June, Villapudua told The Record that he considered the reopening of Columbus Park one of his “biggest wins.” He said the park had been neglected for years and that it was one of the reasons why he ran for council.
Villapudua said he believed it was his responsibility as a council member to take care of the parks in the city.
While out in the community, Villapudua has engaged with constituents by participating in “Dunk Brando” during the grand opening of Sousa Park.
Additionally, he has supported free dental events for military veterans as well as food distributions.
During his time on the city council, Villapudua has been involved in several controversies and disputes.
In February 2025, Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee called for Villapudua’s resignationafter Villapudua was cited by police for driving with expired registration tags. Stockton police officers cited Villapudua for expired registration and failure to provide proof of insurance.
Villapudua said in a statement he did not remember to renew his tags and described Lee's actions as inappropriate.
"While I take full responsibility for ensuring my tags are properly maintained, I simply forgot," Villapudua said. "I'm human, just like you, and I recognize the importance of taking a step back at times."
In April 2025, the Stockton City Council censured Villapudua for making an obscene gesture in the direction of an audience member during a January 2025 council meeting.
The only piece of evidence was a short video posted by 209 Times, a social media site owned by a Stockton political consultant. In the video, Villapudua can be seen scratching his chin with his middle finger while looking at the camera as he sits on the dais.
The unanimous vote came after an ad hoc committee investigation found that he violated council policies regarding conduct and decorum for elected officials and public conduct expectations in the council chambers.
At the time of the hearing, Villapudua said, "I regret any impact that this situation may have had in our community.”
Questions The Record wanted to ask Villapudua leading up to the Nov. 3 general election included:
- Why are you seeking another term, and what do you believe you can accomplish in the next term that you could not accomplish in this one?
- Your opponent, Desiree Lynch, has withdrawn from the race but remains on the November ballot. How do you think voters should approach the District 5 election given the circumstances?
- In 2025, the city council censured you over what an ad hoc committee determined was a derogatory hand gesture toward a member of the public. Do you believe that censure was warranted? Why or why not?
- You have been involved in several public disputes with other councilmembers, including allegations against Vice Mayor Jason Lee and Councilmember Mario Enriquez involving the city manager. What responsibility do you take for the level of conflict on the council?
- You joined Councilmembers Padilla and Ponce in asking the council to consider the possible discipline, dismissal or release of then-City Attorney Lori Asuncion and then-City Clerk Katherine Roland. As a councilmember, what responsibility do you have to explain to the public why you sought the removal of a charter officer, even when the discussion itself occurs in closed session?
District 5 candidate arrested
The Record contacted Lynch on Oct. 7 for an interview and was given a deadline of Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. to respond. She did not respond.
While Villapudua has faced several controversies during his tenure, Lynch’s campaign was upended on Aug. 19 when she was arrested and accused of multiple felony election-related offenses.
Lynch has been charged with perjury stemming from Nov. 10, 2025, Feb. 5 and March 2; one count of voter registration violation from Nov. 10, 2025; filing a false declaration of candidacy on Nov. 10, 2025; and possessing an assault weapon on Aug. 19, according to an amended complaint.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said investigators determined Lynch lived in Lodi and north Stockton instead of District 5. She was arraigned on Sept. 2.
Despite repeated attempts to remove herself from the ballot, Stockton Interim City Attorney Donald Larkin said Lynch’s name would remain on the November ballot. He said that, under the Elections Code, candidates cannot withdraw from the general election after the primary election.
On Aug. 26, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Robert Waters rejected an emergency petition filed by Shakeel Samuel Carpenter, who was seeking to remove Lynch from the November ballot. Waters found that the petition failed to establish an error in the ballot process that would allow the court to intervene.
Before her arrest, Lynch attended forums and allowed voters to hear her reasons for wanting to unseat Villapudua.
When it came to homelessness, she said focusing on services to support those struggling with addiction and mental health issues is the right approach, rather than "slapping a Band-Aid on the issue."
Lynch said if elected, she would advocate for a greater share of state and local funding to address roads and public hazards.
"We have a lot of abandoned buildings around that are hazards," Lynch said during a forum hosted prior to the primary election. "We need to work on that stuff as well. That would be one of my main goals that I would go back and ask the council to get behind because District 5 has been ignored and we need to show it some love."
She also emphasized the need to improve police staffing and retention, such as making the profession more appealing to students while also investing in recruitment.
What happens if Lynch wins?
If Lynch were elected to the council, the public could challenge her election and seek to have her removed. Challenges to a candidate's eligibility generally are resolved through the courts.
After an officeholder takes office, challenges to that person's legal right to hold office generally proceed through a quo warranto action under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 803.
A quo warranto action could be used to resolve whether Lynch has the legal right to hold public office on the council.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Challenger attempts to unseat incumbent for Stockton City Council District 5 seat
