Fresno attorney Roger Bonakdar has his sights set on the Fresno City Council, as he is running to succeed Councilman Garry Bredefeld in District 6.
Bonakdar spoke with The Sun for political podcast series, The Stump, airing on Sunrise FM.
The big picture: A Fresno native, Bonakdar only left town to attend UC San Diego and Santa Clara School of law before returning home.
- He eventually started Bonakdar Law Firm, where he focuses on business, injury and criminal justice.
- Bonakdar has a bevy of support, including endorsements from the Fresno Police Officers Association, Fresno City Firefighters IAFF Local 202, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, the San Joaquin Valley Taxpayers Association and the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
- He also has the support of Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni and the two retired sheriffs Margaret Mims and Steve Magarian, as well as the Lincoln Club of Fresno.
What they’re saying: “I wanted to do something that was meaningful where I could actually deploy my professional skills to benefit our town and to do good for Fresno families and businesses,” Bonakdar said.
- He added, “This was the opportunity that I thought would really make the biggest difference. I wanted to do something where I could bring to bear my nearly two decades of experience being an advocate, representing people to do good for my community and our city.”
- While he credited the city council for making Fresno Police Officers the highest paid police officers in the Central Valley, Bonakdar would like to see an extra emphasis on public safety come out of City Hall.
- “I am happy about the fact that we have a lager force than we did before,” Bonakdar said. “But it really doesn’t bring me any joy to acknowledge this – but this is the truth – police presence directly deters criminal conduct, period. There are folks that may argue otherwise, but they’re arguing against facts.”
