Citing growing demands in his personal life, James Casey announced that he won’t seek re-election to the Ceres City Council in November.
Two candidates have already emerged to run for his District 1 seat despite the candidate filing period being months away. Gary M. Condit and Dr. Dorie Perez, both members of the Ceres Planning Commission, have indicated they are running.
“I’ve been overwhelmed at home with issues and I haven’t done a very good job up to this point about preparing for council meetings,” said Councilman Casey who is now looking after multiple family members. “I guess the prudent thing would have been to resign a couple of months ago but I didn’t want to do that given who they might replace me with.”
Casey expressed frustrations over the job and the direction of the city. He noted that his referrals to have items placed on the council agenda seem to find their way for consideration.
“I’ve asked for referrals and they haven’t been put on or I’m told I have to wait until an interim city manager is onboard or if the city attorney feels it’s okay.”
Casey said he’s been uncomfortable about the future of the city, citing a turnover of department heads and ongoing budget deficits. He said he’s feared the city going bankrupt with successive million dollar shortfalls and is concerned that efforts have not been made to apprise the council of budgetary concerns. However, as the city prepares to craft the 2026-27 fiscal year budget, Casey said “hopefully this time I’ll have more of an input and understanding about the budget.”
He also suggested that the city’s problems with Ceres Youth Baseball officials in past years are due to some members of the council.
“Bottom line I feel like I’m not very productive and I have this huge family situation.”
He added that in the unlikely situation that demands for his time will subside that he wouldn’t rule out running for mayor in two years.
Casey was first elected to the council in a special election held in September 2021 to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Couper Condit earlier that year. When the term ended in December 2022, Casey won election to a four-year seat.
Casey has lived in Ceres since 1974 and has owned and operated Casey Moving Systems in Ceres since 1995. He was an Army veteran from 1968 to 1971.
Gary Condit, a member of the Ceres Planning Commission for nearly three years, said he has decided to enter the contest since Casey is not running – and has Casey’s endorsement.
“I thank Mr. Casey for his service and dedication to the City of Ceres, and I am proud to have his endorsement for my campaign,” said Condit. “Ceres is ready for new leadership, and I am committed to delivering real solutions to address the ongoing budget crisis, expand opportunities for the youth, and strengthen public safety.”
He pledged to vote to eliminate the taxpayer-funded health insurance for our part-time city councilmembers, noting the annual cost of $100,000.
“In addition, I will find real solutions to prioritize fiscal responsibility, because our city is in a financial crisis, and we must stop dipping into our reserves to balance the budget each fiscal year. The residents of Ceres deserve a safe and clean community to call home, and it starts with our elected officials making those priorities. I will deliver for the residents of Ceres on the city council.”
Condit is endorsed by County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse.
He and wife Destiny Suarez-Condit have one son, Theodore. Condit has been employed at the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office as a Staff Services Analyst for five years. He holds an associate’s degree from Modesto Junior College and a bachelor’s degree from California Coast University.
Perez, who was born and raised in Fresno, said she is a “Valley girl at heart” and “moved to Ceres to start a family in a great community.”
“I care deeply about our area – its growth, history, and people – and am committed to helping where I can.”
Perez was appointed to the Ceres Planning Commission in 2025 and said she remains “concerned about the direction of development.”
“We need more housing and we need to do that carefully here where precious land grows the country’s food,” Perez said. “Thoughtful growth and an attention to the needs of Ceres citizens themselves should be balanced with an enthusiasm for community development. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and abundance, after all.”
After earning her PhD in history, Perez taught high school and middle school in Modesto. She also taught American history and anthropology to undergraduates at UC Merced.
“I’m proud to say my family has fostered over a dozen foster children in our care and have enrolled them in Ceres public schools specifically because Ceres has so much to offer.”
Perez said civil service is in her blood and training.
“My parents met working for the State of California, and raised me in Fresno public schools, libraries and parks. I got my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Ethnic Studies from Berkeley, and focused on urban history at UC Merced. I was a Public Policy Fellow at Carnegie Mellon and a Rotary exchange student in Sweden.”
Perez also wrote columns featured in the Fresno and Modesto Bee newspapers.
Another council seat up for grabs this November is in District 2 now occupied by Rosalinda Vierra.
The terms of Mayor Javier Lopez, District 3 Councilwoman Cerina Otero and District 4 Councilman Daniel Martinez expire at the end of 2028.
