Nav Gurm is running for Fresno City Council District 7 in the November 2026 election against Ariana Martinez Lott, for the seat being vacated by termed-out Council President Nelson Esparza. An attorney with a law degree from UC Davis, Gurm practices labor and employment law in Fresno County and owns Five River Strategies, a Central Valley public affairs consulting firm; his family runs a convenience store in Selma. He previously worked as a legislative aide on Esparza’s council staff.
Gurm has campaigned on securing District 7 and south Fresno’s equitable share of Measure C transportation funding, repairing roads, sidewalks, and aging water and sewer infrastructure, lowering utility costs, expanding youth mentorship and internship programs, and supporting small businesses through a proposed “one-stop shop” permitting process. He has been endorsed by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, and led the June 2026 primary with about 39% of the vote in a four-candidate field.
