No Recommendation
AD27 - No Recommendation
This is a competitive, majority-Latino district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Assm. Esmeralda Soria has the endorsement of a few progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, Planned Parenthood, and California Teachers Association. She has also received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including California Police Chiefs Association, California Statewide Law Enforcement Association, and Fresno Police Officers Association.
Key initiatives: This year, Assm. Soria’s priorities for AD-27 have included 20 bills about increasing access to affordable health care, improving services for veterans and families, and creating pathways for careers in social services. Of these, five have been successfully chaptered into law and all others remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to study health care offered in public colleges and universities, and to boost veterans’ affairs programs. She scores a CS of 20 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a member of the Hall of Shame. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Soria has supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. This year, she failed to cast a vote on bills to prohibit the use of facial recognition software in police body cameras, eliminate the use of discriminatory bench warrants, prevent the transfer of released individuals to ICE for deportation, and allow resentencing for individuals disadvantaged by firearm enhancements. She has close ties to state and local police groups, and has been a recipient of fossil fuel donations.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Soria has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with 51% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Soria was a Fresno City Council member, a role she took on to fight for schools and disadvantaged communities. She worked to revitalize Fresno, helping to create thousands of jobs, affordable housing, and homeless shelters; expanded Fresno City College and created a scholarship fund for Dreamers; helped deliver millions in emergency funding for safe drinking water; and secured funding for new health clinics and local schools. She has been a longtime supporter of community advocacy.
Other background: Assm. Soria is a lifelong resident of the Central Valley.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Assm. Esmeralda Soria (D), and Joanna Garcia Rose (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Soria’s campaign has raised $1.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Joanna Garcia Rose
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Garcia Rose’s campaign has raised $41,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 27th Assembly District includes parts of Merced, Fresno, and Madera Counties.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 27% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 51% Latino, 7% Asian, and 5% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-27 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 14 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 6 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.
AD27 - No Recommendation
This is a competitive, majority-Latino district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Assm. Esmeralda Soria has the endorsement of a few progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, Planned Parenthood, and California Teachers Association. She has also received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including California Police Chiefs Association, California Statewide Law Enforcement Association, and Fresno Police Officers Association.
Key initiatives: This year, Assm. Soria’s priorities for AD-27 have included 20 bills about increasing access to affordable health care, improving services for veterans and families, and creating pathways for careers in social services. Of these, five have been successfully chaptered into law and all others remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to study health care offered in public colleges and universities, and to boost veterans’ affairs programs. She scores a CS of 20 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a member of the Hall of Shame. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Soria has supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. This year, she failed to cast a vote on bills to prohibit the use of facial recognition software in police body cameras, eliminate the use of discriminatory bench warrants, prevent the transfer of released individuals to ICE for deportation, and allow resentencing for individuals disadvantaged by firearm enhancements. She has close ties to state and local police groups, and has been a recipient of fossil fuel donations.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Soria has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with 51% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Soria was a Fresno City Council member, a role she took on to fight for schools and disadvantaged communities. She worked to revitalize Fresno, helping to create thousands of jobs, affordable housing, and homeless shelters; expanded Fresno City College and created a scholarship fund for Dreamers; helped deliver millions in emergency funding for safe drinking water; and secured funding for new health clinics and local schools. She has been a longtime supporter of community advocacy.
Other background: Assm. Soria is a lifelong resident of the Central Valley.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Assm. Esmeralda Soria (D), and Joanna Garcia Rose (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Soria’s campaign has raised $1.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Joanna Garcia Rose
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Garcia Rose’s campaign has raised $41,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 27th Assembly District includes parts of Merced, Fresno, and Madera Counties.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 27% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 51% Latino, 7% Asian, and 5% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-27 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 14 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 6 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.