Survey targets Sikh candidate’s turban, age in Fresno District 7 race; both campaigns condemn it

A survey sent to District 7 voters in early September asked whether “a candidate’s religious background or traditional cultural attire, such as a turban” would affect their vote. It also asked whether a candidate being 26 years old would make voters more or less likely to support them.

Only one candidate in the race fits those descriptors: Nav Gurm, 26, an attorney who wears a turban and would be Fresno’s first councilmember of Sikh heritage. He is running against Ariana Martinez Lott, 39, a community advocate, for the open District 7 seat in east-central Fresno.

Both candidates told The Fresno Bee the survey did not come from their campaigns. Both condemned it as racist.

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The survey, conducted through Survey Monkey by an entity called Political Opinion Research, included 18 questions. A phone number at the end of the survey offered only an option to opt out of future surveys. An email associated with a Political Opinion Research website listing a Michigan address bounced back. Who commissioned the survey remains unknown.

“I stand strongly against any prejudice or racism towards any candidates,” Martinez Lott said. “A person’s religion or ethnicity shouldn’t be used as a smear tactic in any campaign.”

Gurm called the survey’s questions “anti-Sikh bigotry” and said voters are “tired of distractions.”

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that someone decided to test my faith and my age as reasons not to vote for me,” Gurm said. “Voters should judge me on my ability to fix our roads and sidewalks, make it easier to open a small business in Fresno, and create safer neighborhoods through watch programs, not on my age or the fact that I am a proud Sikh American who wears a turban.”

Current District 7 Councilmember Nelson Esparza is terming out. Another Sikh candidate, Naindeep Singh, is running in District 1. Both Singh and Gurm wear turbans, which traditionally represent a Sikh’s commitment to their faith.

The Breakdown

• District 7 voters received a Survey Monkey poll in early September with 18 questions.
• Two questions appeared to single out Gurm: one asked whether “a candidate’s religious background or traditional cultural attire, such as a turban” would affect a voter’s willingness to support them; another asked whether a candidate being 26 years old would make voters more or less likely to vote for them.
• The survey was conducted by an entity called Political Opinion Research. Attempts to reach that organization yielded only an opt-out line and a bounced email. Its origin is unknown.
• Neither the Gurm nor Martinez Lott campaigns commissioned the survey, according to both candidates.

What This Means for You

The survey’s questions frame Gurm’s religious identity and age as potential factors in voter decision-making — a tactic both candidates have rejected. Voters now know that someone, identity still unknown, attempted to test whether religious and age-based considerations would affect the evaluation of a candidate. The identity of whoever paid for this survey matters because it reveals what tactics someone believes are worth testing in this district, and whether transparency or anonymity governs how campaigns are actually fought here.

What You Can Do

The district covers east-central Fresno. Both candidates have condemned the survey; voters weighing the race can contact either campaign directly to hear their positions on the issues Gurm and Martinez Lott each cited — infrastructure, business climate, public safety, and city spending transparency.

What to Watch

The survey’s sponsor remains unknown despite both campaigns disavowing it. That anonymity is itself the story: someone spent money to test whether religious identity and age would affect votes in District 7, then declined to attach their name to it. Whether that sponsor surfaces — voluntarily or through reporting — is the first question. The second is whether this tactic repeats. A single poll can be dismissed as noise; a pattern of similar material would indicate someone believes this approach is worth the investment.