The Race Goes On: Debates, Responses, and a Candidate in Court

LOS SANTOS, SAN ANDREAS [WZL] – Cozy up, the Winter 2026 Election moves forward with new dates. The first of the dates has passed; that was the additional time for candidates to register and complete background checks, so now we enter the campaign period. Candidates have from October 15th at 2:00 PM EST through October 23rd at 2:00 PM EST.

The updated prominent dates for the Winter 2026 election season are:

The Candidates Announced

The Winter 2026 Gubernatorial Candidates have been officially announced. They are as follows;

With the candidates confirmed, attention now turns to their campaigns, where the public can hear from each candidate throughout this week about what they hope to bring to San Andreas.

The Debate Stage Awaits

An exciting part of campaign week is the Gubernatorial Debates. The Gubernatorial Debates will be on Monday, October 19th at 8 PM EST. The debates are a great opportunity to hear different perspectives and plans, and to ask what matters most to you about your next potential Governor and Lt. Governor-to-be.

Get your question asked by submitting it to the form below:

Fantana Responds to Murdank’s Press Conference

On October 7th, Matt Murdank held a press conference at City Hall where he condemned political violence and intimidation. During the press conference, he called for his fellow candidates to stand in support with him on the matter. During the conference, Murdank announced that he tried to reach them but “was not able to reach Mr. Fantana, as he does not accept emails, and I was unable to find a valid address for Mr. Vandertunt”. 

Following the official announcement of candidates on October 15th, Brian Fantana has now issued a statement responding to Murdank’s remarks and explaining his absence from the impromptu press conference held by Murdank.

Fantana’s statement, provided to Weazel News, reads as follows:

“Now that I have been officially announced as Gubernatorial Candidate for the Winter 2026 Election, I would like to address the press conference held by Matt Murdank on October 7th and subsequent press release on that same evening. The press conference was held at City Hall on Wednesday, October 7th at 7:30pm EST to condemn political violence. I agree that violence and intimidation have no place in politics and condemn any acts committed against any party. 

I would have liked to participate in this conversation in the moment considering the severity of the claims, but unfortunately I was completely unaware of the press conference even happening. Though Murdank claims to have had difficulty contacting me, I had no missed calls, text messages, or emails on the subject. Winter 2026 Governor Election candidates were officially announced on Thursday, October 15th, therefore I would have been unable to attend, as campaigning before this date would have put myself in violation of campaign laws.

I hope that the investigation goes well and that the perpetrators are brought to some measure of accountability so that the violence ends here. Let’s all put our heads together and collaborate on the bigger picture. Even though only one candidate can win, the ideas shared can benefit the state no matter who realizes them.

I look forward to the Gubernatorial Debates on Monday, where we can more openly express our views and visions here soon.”

-Brian Fantana

The October 7 press conference has become more than an exchange of statements between candidates.

Murdank Remains on the Docket

As the Winter 2026 election approaches, Murdank’s October 7th press conference has become part of an ongoing criminal case in which he faces one misdemeanor count of Campaign Finance Violation.

According to the complaint, Murdank publicly announced his candidacy on Yeeter on October 6th and subsequently invited the public to meet him and his running mate at the Hunt & OHagan offices. The complaint also references his October 7th press conference, which law enforcement alleges, alongside the October 6th activities, exceeded the single pre-campaign announcement event allowance.

An arrest warrant was approved on October 8th and served on October 10th. Murdank pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on their own recognisance.

The case remains open, and Murdank has not been convicted of the alleged offense. He remains on the official gubernatorial candidate docket, and it remains unclear whether the ongoing proceedings will affect his candidacy.